{{Short description|Canadian politician (1938–2021)}} {{For|the Canadian federal and provincial politician (1902–1988)|Jean-Léo Rochon}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jean Rochon | image = | caption = | cabinet = | birth_date = {{birth date|1938|07|29}} | birth_place = [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|10|16|1938|7|29}} | death_place = | profession = Doctor | party = [[Parti Québécois]] | office = [[National Assembly of Quebec|MNA]] for [[Charlesbourg (provincial electoral district)|Charlesbourg]] | term_start = 1994 | term_end = 2003 | predecessor = [[Marc-Yvan Côté]] | successor = [[Éric Mercier]] | portfolio = | footnotes = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | spouse = }} '''Jean Rochon''' (July 29, 1938 – October 16, 2021) was a Canadian politician and member of the [[National Assembly of Quebec]]. He was a cabinet [[Minister (government)|minister]] for several ministries from 1994 to 2003 when the [[Parti Québécois]] formed the government under the leadership of [[Jacques Parizeau]], [[Lucien Bouchard]] and [[Bernard Landry]].
==Early life== Rochon was born in [[Montreal]] on July 29, 1938. His father, Albert, was employed as a [[longshoreman]]; his mother was Germaine (Laliberté). Rochon completed his secondary education at the {{ill|Collège Sainte-Croix|fr|Collège Sainte-Croix (Montréal)}} in his hometown. He graduated from the [[Université de Montréal]] with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in 1958, before earning a law degree from the same institution three years later.<ref name=ANQ>{{cite web|title=Jean Rochon|url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/rochon-jean-5165/biographie.html|date=October 2021|accessdate=October 21, 2021|publisher=National Assembly of Quebec|language=fr}}</ref> He then obtained a [[medical degree]] from the [[Université Laval]] in 1966, before being awarded a [[Master of Public Health|masters]] and [[Doctor of Public Health|doctorate in public health]] from [[Harvard University]].<ref name=ANQ/><ref name="CP obit">{{cite news|title=Ex-Parti Québécois health minister Jean Rochon dies at 83|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ex-parti-quebecois-health-minister-jean-rochon-dies-at-83/|date=October 19, 2021|accessdate=October 21, 2021|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|agency=The Canadian Press|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020045139/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ex-parti-quebecois-health-minister-jean-rochon-dies-at-83/|archivedate=October 20, 2021}}</ref>
==Career== Rochon first worked at the [[Université Laval Faculté de médecine]] starting in 1970.<ref name=ANQ/> He established the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine there and served as its first director. He was also director of the Department of Community Health at the [[Centre hospitalier de l'Université Laval]]. He was later appointed dean of the faculty of medicine in 1979.<ref name=Laval>{{cite web|title=Jean Rochon – Éméritat|url=https://www.ulaval.ca/notre-universite/prix-et-distinctions/emeritat/jean-rochon|accessdate=October 21, 2021|publisher=Université Laval|language=fr}}</ref>
Rochon was the head of a major report on the state of health and social services in the provinces from 1985 to 1987, when the [[Quebec Liberal Party|Liberals]] and then-Premier [[Robert Bourassa]] were in power.<ref name=Laval/> He tabled several proposals in order to reform the health care system. These included faster health care service by introducing what was called the "Virage ambulatoire" which saw the increase of home health care services and [[CLSC]].<ref name=Lecavalier>{{cite news|title=25 ans d'échecs en santé: Rochon regrette de ne pas avoir mené sa réforme jusqu'au bout|url=https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/07/26/25-ans-dechecs-en-sante-rochon-regrette-de-ne-pas-avoir-mene-sa-reforme-jusquau-bout|first=Charles|last=Lecavalier|date=July 26, 2020|accessdate=October 21, 2021|newspaper=Le Journal de Québec|location=Quebec City|language=fr}}</ref> Rochon entered politics in 1994, running in the [[1994 Quebec general election|provincial election that year]] as a candidate for the [[Parti Québécois]]. He was elected to the National Assembly, representing the [[Electoral district (Canada)|district]] of [[Charlesbourg (provincial electoral district)|Charlesbourg]].<ref name="CP obit"/> He was then named [[Ministry of Health and Social Services (Quebec)|Minister of Health]] on September 26, 1994.<ref name=ANQ/>
As minister, Rochon adopted several of the aforementioned proposals from his report.<ref name=Lecavalier/> However, the measures were criticized because they led to the closure of numerous hospitals and institutions across the province. In spite of protests and petitioning, the government went ahead with Rochon's plan, with the last hospital being shut in February 1997.<ref>{{cite news|title=History Through Our Eyes: Aug. 2, 1995, hot dogs for the Reddy|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/history-through-our-eyes/history-through-our-eyes-aug-2-1995-hot-dogs-for-the-reddy|date=August 2, 2019|access-date=October 21, 2021|first=Susan|last=Schwartz|newspaper=Montreal Gazette}}</ref> He was also responsible for introducing legislation in 1998 to limit public smoking and reduce [[youth smoking]].<ref name="CP obit"/> It was the first law to regulate smoking in public spaces.<ref>{{cite news|title=Décès de l'ex-ministre de la Santé Jean Rochon|url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1832725/deces-ministre-sante-jean-rochon-charlesbourg-inspq-pq|first1=Jean-François|last1=Nadeau|first2=Alain|last2=Rochefort|date=October 19, 2021|access-date=October 21, 2021|publisher=Radio Canada|language=fr}}</ref>
After the [[1998 Quebec general election|1998 elections]], Rochon was named Minister of several other portfolios until his retirement in 2003.<ref name=ANQ/> His seat was subsequently won by the Liberal candidate [[Éric Mercier]], who defeated [[Jonatan Julien]] of the [[Action démocratique du Québec]] in the [[2003 Quebec general election]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Charlesbourg|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/charlesbourg-1.1219064|date=July 24, 2012|access-date=October 21, 2021|publisher=CBC News}}</ref>
==Later life== After retiring as a professor in January 2003, Rochon continued to be involved in research and training projects at Laval.<ref name=Laval/> He died on October 16, 2021, after a short illness. He was 83 years old.<ref name="CP obit"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2021-10-19/l-ex-ministre-de-la-sante-jean-rochon-est-decede.php|title=L'ex-ministre de la Santé Jean Rochon est décédé|last=Chouinard|first=Tommy|newspaper=La Presse|date=October 19, 2021|access-date=October 19, 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Quebec MNA biography|rochon-jean-5165}}
{{Landry Ministry}} {{Parizeau Ministry}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochon, Jean}} [[Category:1938 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec]] [[Category:21st-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec]] [[Category:Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health alumni]] [[Category:Ministers of health of Quebec]] [[Category:Parti Québécois MNAs]] [[Category:Politicians from Montreal]] [[Category:Politicians from Quebec City]] [[Category:Université de Montréal alumni]] [[Category:Université Laval alumni]] [[Category:Academic staff of Université Laval]]