- Yolande James
Infobox QuebecMNA | name= Yolande James
caption=
cabinet= Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities
term_start=September 20 ,2004
term_end=
predecessor= Russell Williams
birth_date= birth date and age |1977|11|27
birth_place=Montreal ,Quebec
successor=
death_date=
death_place=
profession=
party= Quebec Liberal Party
party colour= Liberal
residence=
riding=Nelligan (2004-present)
portfolio=
footnotes=
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=
successor2=
spouse= |Yolande James (born
November 21 1977 inMontreal ,Quebec ) is aQuebec provincial politician. She is the first black female MNA and the youngest, as well as the first black cabinet minister inQuebec history. [cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070419.QUEBEC19/TPStory/National|title=Woman fill half of cabinet in Quebec|work=The Globe and Mail|quote=Yolande James becomes Quebec's first black minister at Immigration and Cultural Communities.|accessdate=2007-04-19] A member of theQuebec Liberal Party , she represents the multicultural riding of Nelligan in the Island of Montreal.Biography
Yolande James' father and mother are Canadian citizens who emigrated from
St. Lucia and St. Vincent, respectively. She grew up in Montreal'sWest Island area, and went to afrancophone primary school. James says she first got involved in politics and with theQuebec Liberal Party during the 1995 sovereignty referendum campaign. [ [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=101f91bb-d3e2-437e-90f0-10d8584db64e&k=62495 Minister breaks age, colour and language barriers ] ]James received a
Bachelor's degree incivil law in 2000 fromUniversité de Montréal and a Bachelor's degree incommon law fromQueen's University in 2003. She was called to theBarreau du Québec in 2004.She was a political adviser at the Ministry of Health and Social Services and was the political aid of a former MNA for the Nelligan riding. She also collaborated in a local program which helped youths with learning difficulties.
She was first elected to the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Nelligan in a
by-election held on September 20, 2004. She was re-elected in the 2007 Quebec general election.She was appointed Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities in the
minority government cabinet ofQuebec Premier Jean Charest in 2007. [cite web|url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/Membres/notices/j-l/jamy1.shtml|title=National Assembly of Quebec profile|accessdate=2007-04-19]Political Issues
When
Parti Québécois leaderPauline Marois demanded that the province ofQuebec have full control over its immigration, Ms. James replied that under a bilateral agreement with the national government, Quebec already has all the power it needs to select the economic immigrants it wants. [ [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2c1f14fb-f55f-45a9-abee-4167c3b702c6&k=58090 Let Quebec control its immigration, Marois says ] ]References
External Links
* [http://www.assnat.qc.ca/FRA/Membres/notices/j-l/jamy1.shtml Yolande James pages on National Assembly of Quebec official website] (French)
* [http://www.micc.gouv.qc.ca/fr/ministre/index.html Minister page at the Quebec Immigration and Cultural Communities Ministry Official website] (French)
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