Nicole Léger

Nicole Léger
Nicole Léger
Nicole Léger (right) with then-Parti Québécois leader André Boisclair
MNA for Pointe-aux-Trembles
In office
1996–2006
Preceded by Michel Bourdon
Succeeded by André Boisclair
MNA for Pointe-aux-Trembles
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 12, 2008
Preceded by André Boisclair
Personal details
Born March 12, 1955 (1955-03-12) (age 56)
Montreal, Quebec
Political party Parti Québécois
Cabinet Chief Whip of the Official Opposition

Nicole Léger (born March 12, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a politician and the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) for the riding of Pointe-aux-Trembles from 1996 to 2006 and recently elected back as member of the Parti Québécois in a by-election on May 12, 2008.

Contents

Background

She was born on March 12, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec and is the daughter of former Parti Québécois MNA Marcel Léger and the sister of Jean-Marc Léger, president of Léger Marketing. She made career in education and served in various executive positions in the Parti Québécois (PQ) from 1970 to 1996.

Member of the National Assembly

Following the death of MNA Michel Bourdon, Léger ran as a PQ candidate to fill his seat of Pointe-aux-Trembles. She easily won the by-election with 47% of the vote and was re-elected in the 1998 election.

Cabinet Member

Léger was appointed to the Cabinet in 1998 and served as Minister responsible for Family Services until 2001 and as Minister responsible for the War against Poverty from 2001 to 2003.

Retirement from politics

She won re-election in the 2003 election, but her party was defeated by Jean Charest's Liberals.

In the Parti Québécois leadership election of 2005 she was a staunch supporter of Pauline Marois over André Boisclair.

In the aftermath of Boisclair's victory as leader, both Marois and Léger vacated their seats and left politics. André Boisclair won a by-election and succeeded Nicole Léger as the MNA for Pointe-aux-Trembles.

Political comeback

Even though Boisclair won re-election to the legislature in the 2007 election, the PQ had one of the worse showings in history. Boisclair resigned as party leader and relinquished his seat.

Léger won the seat back on May 12, 2008: she received 55% of the vote in a by-election and finished ahead of candidates Mélissa Dumais of the Liberal Party and Diane Bellemare of the ADQ.[1][2]

Electoral record (partial)

Quebec provincial by-election, May 12, 2008 : Pointe-aux-Trembles edit
Party Candidate Votes % +/-
     Parti Québécois Nicole Léger 7,657 55.99 +8.69
     Liberal Mélissa Dumais 2,987 21.84 +3.60
     Action démocratique Diane Bellemare 1,882 13.76 -12.69
     Green Xavier Daxhelet 661 4.83 +0.52
     Québec solidaire Marie Josèphe Pigeon 226 1.65 -0.97
     Parti indépendantiste Colette Provost 153 1.12
     Independent Gérald Briand 78 0.57
     Independent Régent Millette 31 0.23
Total valid votes 13,675 100.00
Rejected and declined votes 146
Turnout 13,821 34.13 -38.79
Electors on the lists 40,496

Footnotes

References

Political offices
Preceded by
Francois Bonnardel
Chief Whip of the Official Opposition
2008–present
Succeeded by
incumbent