{{short description|Canadian politician (born 1945)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Louise Beaudoin | image = Louise Beaudoin.png | caption = Beaudoin during a visit to Chambly | cabinet = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|09|26}} | birth_place = [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]], Canada | death_date = | death_place = | profession = | party = [[Parti Québécois]] → [[Independent politician#Canada|Independent]] → Parti Québécois | office = [[Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie (Quebec)|Quebec Minister of International Affairs]] | premier = {{ubl|[[Lucien Bouchard]]|[[Bernard Landry]]}} | term_start = December 15, 1998 | term_end = April 29, 2003 | predecessor = [[Sylvain Simard]] | successor = [[Monique Gagnon-Tremblay]] | premier1 = [[Pierre Marc Johnson]] | term_start1 = October 6, 1985 | term_end1 = December 12, 1985 | predecessor1 = Bernard Landry | successor1 = [[Gil Rémillard]] | office2 = [[Ministry of Culture and Communications (Quebec)|Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications]] | premier2 = {{ubl|[[Jacques Parizeau]]|Lucien Bouchard}} | term_start2 = August 3, 1995 | term_end2 = December 15, 1998 | predecessor2 = Jacques Parizeau | successor2 = [[Agnès Maltais]] {{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Parliamentary constituencies |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes | office3 = [[Member of the National Assembly (Quebec)|Member]] of the<br />[[National Assembly of Quebec]] | term_start3 = [[2008 Quebec general election|December 8, 2008]] | term_end3 = [[2012 Quebec general election|September 4, 2012]] | predecessor3 = [[Rita Dionne-Marsolais]] | successor3 = [[Jean-François Lisée]] |constituency3= [[Rosemont (provincial electoral district)|Rosemont]] | term_start4 = [[1994 Quebec general election|September 12, 1994]] | term_end4 = [[2003 Quebec general election|April 14, 2003]] | predecessor4 = [[Lucienne Robillard]] | successor4 = [[Diane Legault]] |constituency4= [[Chambly (provincial electoral district)|Chambly]]{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}} }} '''Louise Beaudoin''' ({{IPA|fr|lwiz bodwɛ̃}}; born September 26, 1945) is a Canadian politician who represented the [[electoral district]] of [[Rosemont (provincial electoral district)|Rosemont]] in the [[National Assembly of Quebec]] until [[2012 Quebec general election|2012]], as a member of the [[Parti Québécois]] (PQ). She sat as an [[Independent politician|independent]] from June 6, 2011 to April 3, 2012. She is best known for her previous tenure as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for [[Chambly (provincial electoral district)|Chambly]], from 1994 to 2003, when she occupied various ministerial positions.

==Biography== Beaudoin earned a master's degree in history from [[Université Laval]] and a master's degree in [[sociology]] at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]]. As a student, like many contemporaries, she was associated with Quebec separatists.

In the 1970s, she worked at the [[École nationale d'administration publique]] (ENAP). She was also director of [[Claude Morin (PQ politician)|Claude Morin]]'s office. Posted to the ''Délégation générale du Québec à Paris'' from 1984–1985, she was close to [[René Lévesque]] in the last years of his life.

Beaudoin was elected as a ''[[Parti Québécois|péquiste]]'' in the riding of [[Chambly (provincial electoral district)|Chambly]] in 1994, and re-elected in 1998.

During her time as MNA of Chambly, Beaudoin had several portfolios. At various times she was the minister responsible for the [[Charter of the French Language]], [[international relations]], [[intergovernmental relations]], [[Francophonie|La Francophonie]], Culture and Communications, and [[globalization]]. She received some English press coverage for her spirited defence of [[Bill 101]] on an episode of ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Her stringent enforcement of Bill 101 didn't play well with the [[English-speaking Quebecker|Anglophone]] communities in Quebec, and she was famously portrayed as a leather-clad [[dominatrix]] by popular ''[[The Gazette (Montreal)|Montreal Gazette]]'' [[editorial cartoon|cartoonist]] [[Aislin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/viewobject.php?section=162&Lang=1&tourID=VQ_P4_5_EN&seqNumber=24 |title=Funny and Moody: The Best of Aislin's Cartoons |publisher=McCord Museum |access-date=2012-06-23}}</ref> On several occasions she has made controversial remarks about culture, claiming, for example, that [[multiculturalism]] is a Canadian value but not a Quebec one. With [[Sheila Copps]], the Minister for Canadian Heritage, Beaudoin also worked for the adoption of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, voted on after the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001. The same year, she accused the federal government of lying for not permitting Quebec premier [[Bernard Landry]] to participate in the [[Summit of the Americas]].

After eight years as MNA of Chambly, Beaudoin was defeated by the [[Parti libéral du Québec|Liberal]] [[Diane Legault]] in 2003. Her defeat was largely attributed to anti-PQ resentment in the [[Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville|Saint-Bruno]] area of the riding as a result of [[Municipal reorganization in Quebec|Bill 170]].

After her departure from the National Assembly, she joined the [[Université du Québec à Montréal]] as a professor<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uqam.ca/nouvelles/2003/03-145.htm |title=Madame Louise Beaudoin entre à l'UQAM comme chercheure et professeure associée |publisher=Uqam.ca |access-date=2012-06-23}}</ref> and there continued her studies into [[globalization]].

She was decorated as a ''commandeur'' of the [[Légion d'honneur]] on September 23, 2004.

She did not run for the PQ in the riding of Chambly in the [[2007 Quebec general election|2007 elections]] and her assistant [[Bertrand St-Arnaud]] tried to win the seat but lost to ''[[Action démocratique du Québec|adéquiste]]'' [[Richard Merlini]].

Beaudoin returned to the political scene in December 8, 2008 by getting elected in [[Rosemont (provincial electoral district)|Rosemont]] to succeed the resigned [[Rita Dionne-Marsolais]].

As of 2008, Beaudoin was a host and journalist on [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Radio-Canada]]'s series ''[[5 sur 5]]'', which answers viewers' questions about a wide variety of topics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/5_sur_5/equipe.shtml |title=Équipe &#124; 5 sur 5 &#124; zone Télévision |publisher=Radio-Canada.ca |date=2005-09-15 |access-date=2012-06-23}}</ref> She has also served as director of the board for [[Théâtre Espace Go]].<ref name=Boulanger>{{cite news|last=Boulanger|first=Luc|title=Anniversaire du Théâtre Espace GO - Pol Pelletier lance une guerre des dates|url=https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/theatre/281283/anniversaire-du-theatre-espace-go-pol-pelletier-lance-une-guerre-des-dates|access-date=23 January 2011|newspaper=[[Le Devoir]]|date=18 January 2010|location=Montreal|language=fr}}</ref>

On January 20, 2009, Beaudoin, along with fellow PQ member [[François Rebello]], attended the [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|inauguration of Barack Obama]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]

On June 6, 2011, Beaudoin and caucus mates [[Lisette Lapointe]] and [[Pierre Curzi]] resigned from the Parti Québécois to sit as independents over the PQ's acceptance of a bill changing the law to permit an agreement between the [[Quebec City|City of Québec]] and [[Quebecor]] Inc. concerning the construction of an arena in Quebec City.<ref name="resignation">{{cite news|title=PQ left reeling after three top members of Quebec sovereigntist party quit|url=http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=DOR-MNN-CP.8ad03e57162c461f97c54389d18b54c2.CPKEY2008111303&newsitemid=7067934&languageid=1|access-date=June 6, 2011|newspaper=[[The Canadian Press]]|date=June 6, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721172218/http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=DOR-MNN-CP.8ad03e57162c461f97c54389d18b54c2.CPKEY2008111303&newsitemid=7067934&languageid=1|archive-date=July 21, 2011}}</ref>

On April 3, 2012, Beaudoin rejoined the PQ caucus.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/a9cois+leader+Pauline+Marois+welcomes+Louise+Beaudoin+back+into+fold/6404018/story.html |title=Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois welcomes MNA Louise Beaudoin back into the fold |date=April 3, 2012 |newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]] |author=Philip Authier |access-date=April 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405232620/http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/a9cois%2Bleader%2BPauline%2BMarois%2Bwelcomes%2BLouise%2BBeaudoin%2Bback%2Binto%2Bfold/6404018/story.html |archive-date=April 5, 2012 }}</ref> She did not run for re-election in the [[2012 Quebec general election|2012 general election]].

==Electoral record== {{2008 Quebec general election/Rosemont}} {{Canadian election result/top|QC|2003|percent=yes|collapsed=no}} {{CANelec|QC|Liberal|[[Diane Legault]]|17,656|41.85}} {{CANelec|QC|PQ|Louise Beaudoin|16,857|39.95}} {{CANelec|QC|ADQ|Denis Lavoie|6,935|16.44}} {{CANelec|QC|Bloc Pot|Sébastien Duclos|744|1.76}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|42,192|98.69}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|561|1.31}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|42,753|78.45}} {{Canadian election result/total|Electors on the lists|54,497|&ndash;}} {{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|QC|1998|percent=yes|collapsed=no}} {{CANelec|QC|PQ|Louise Beaudoin|22,559|52.51}} {{CANelec|QC|Liberal|Pierre Bourbonnais|15,230|35.45}} {{CANelec|QC|ADQ|Jean-Sébastien Brault|4,550|10.59}} {{CANelec|QC|Bloc Pot|Maryève Daigle|344|0.80}} {{CANelec|QC|Independent|Serge Lebel|131|0.30}} {{CANelec|QC|PDS|Maryse-Laurence Lewis|117|0.27}} {{CANelec|QC|[[Parti innovateur du Québec|Innovator]]|Herve Raymond|34|0.08}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|42,965|99.11}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|385|0.89}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|43,350|84.63}} {{Canadian election result/total|Electors on the lists|51,221|&ndash;}} {{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|QC|1994|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|QC|PQ|Louise Beaudoin|19,800|48.86}} {{CANelec|QC|Liberal|[[Lucienne Robillard]]|19,393|47.86}} {{CANelec|QC|Natural Law|Michael Larmand|519|1.28}} {{CANelec|QC|Development|Camille Bolté|474|1.17}} {{CANelec|QC|Sovereignty|Pierre Mondor|336|0.83}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|40,522|97.29}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|1,130|2.71}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|41,652|87.47}} {{Canadian election result/total|Electors on the lists|47,620|&ndash;}} {{end}}

==References== {{Commons category}} {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.louisebeaudoin.org/ }} *{{Quebec MNA biography|beaudoin-louise-293}} *[http://bilan.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/pages/biographies/1105.html Short biography] (in French) *[https://archive.today/20070928100429/http://www.alliance-us.org/dg/fr/Page.Culture.Lecture.Beaudoin.aspx Notice from the ''Alliance française''] *[http://archives.cbc.ca/IDCC-1-73-1297-7643/politics_economy/bill101/ English language interview from CBC archives 1997]

{{Landry Ministry}} {{Bouchard Ministry}} {{Parizeau Ministry}} {{Johnson Ministry}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaudoin, Louise}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:Independent MNAs in Quebec]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Parti Québécois MNAs]] [[Category:Politicians from Quebec City]] [[Category:Academic staff of the Université du Québec à Montréal]] [[Category:Université Laval alumni]] [[Category:Women MNAs in Quebec]] [[Category:20th-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]] [[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]] [[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Quebec]] [[Category:Ministers of international relations of Quebec]] [[Category:Members of the National Assembly of Quebec from Montreal]]