# Mathieu Ravignat > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mathieu_Ravignat > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mathieu_Ravignat.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathieu_Ravignat > Source revision: 1351058870 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Mathieu Ravignat** (born January 18, 1973) is a Canadian federal politician from [Cantley, Quebec](/source/Cantley,_Quebec), Canada, who was elected to the [House of Commons of Canada](/source/House_of_Commons_of_Canada) from the riding of [Pontiac](/source/Pontiac_(federal_electoral_district)) in the [May 2, 2011 federal election](/source/2011_Canadian_federal_election). He is a member of the [New Democratic Party](/source/New_Democratic_Party_(Canada)), which formed the [official opposition](/source/Official_Opposition_(Canada)) in the [41st Canadian Parliament](/source/41st_Canadian_Parliament). He was defeated by [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) [Will Amos](/source/Will_Amos) in the [2015 Canadian federal election](/source/2015_Canadian_federal_election). ## Early life Of [Belgian](/source/Belgians) descent and raised in [Gracefield, Quebec](/source/Gracefield,_Quebec) and [Orleans, Ontario](/source/Orleans,_Ontario), Ravignat received a [master's degree](/source/Master's_degree) in [political science](/source/Political_science). He co-founded Local 2626 of the [Canadian Union of Public Employees](/source/Canadian_Union_of_Public_Employees), the [labour union](/source/Trade_union) that represents student employees of the [University of Ottawa](/source/University_of_Ottawa). At the time of his election to Parliament, Ravignat was a federal government researcher for [aboriginal](/source/Aboriginal_peoples_in_Canada) and [environmental issues](/source/Environmental_issue).[1] ## Political career Ravignat first ran for a seat as an independent candidate in the [1997 federal election](/source/1997_Canadian_federal_election). Ravignat ran in the riding of [Laurier—Sainte-Marie](/source/Laurier%E2%80%94Sainte-Marie) finishing in last place out of eight candidates earning 123 votes. He was soundly defeated by [Bloc Québécois](/source/Bloc_Qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois) leader [Gilles Duceppe](/source/Gilles_Duceppe).[2] Ravignat ran for his second time as a New Democratic Party candidate in the [2011 federal election](/source/2011_Canadian_federal_election). He was nominated by the party to contest the riding of [Pontiac](/source/Pontiac_(federal_electoral_district)). On election night, he won his first term in office and picked up the seat for his party by defeating [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_of_Canada) [Foreign Affairs Minister](/source/Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Canada)) [Lawrence Cannon](/source/Lawrence_Cannon), despite the Conservative Party gaining its first majority government in the election.[3][4][5][6] He was defeated by Liberal Will Amos in the 2015 Canadian federal election. ## After politics Ravignat is a [sensei](/source/Sensei) at the Daijiken Traditional [Karate](/source/Karate) Association which he founded in Wakefield, Quebec.[7] He is also one of the founders of the Canada Hokubei Karate-jutsu and Kobu-jutsu Association, a national martial arts organization affiliated with the North America Karate-jutsu Kobu-jutsu Association and with the International Kenshi-kai Organisation (IKO) headquartered in Okinawa, Japan.[8] ## Honours Awarded heraldic crest, banner and flag by Queen Elizabeth II.[9] Awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012. Awarded the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers, 2018.[10] ## References 1. ["New Democrats: Candidate Mathieu Ravignat"](https://ottawacitizen.com/travel/Democrats+Candidate+Mathieu+Ravignat/4649405/story.html). *[Ottawa Citizen](/source/Ottawa_Citizen)*. April 20, 2011. 1. ["Laurier—Sainte-Marie election results"](http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/FederalRidingsHistory/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=8914). Parliament of Canada. June 2, 1997. Retrieved May 3, 2011. 1. ["2011 General Election"](http://enr.elections.ca/PartyLeaders_e.aspx). [Elections Canada](/source/Elections_Canada). May 5, 2011. 1. Lesley Ciarula Taylor (May 3, 2011). ["Dryden falls, Trudeau survives: Notable election winners and losers"](https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/federalbudget/article/984605--dryden-falls-trudeau-survives-notable-election-winners-and-losers?bn=1). *[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)* 1. Steven Chase (May 4, 2011). ["Majority man: Harper gets more ambitious, relaxed and mainstream"](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/majority-man-harper-gets-more-ambitious-relaxed-and-mainstream/article2009236/). *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)* 1. ["Profiles of some new NDP MPs"](https://ottawacitizen.com/news/decision-canada/Profiles+some/4720755/story.html). *[Ottawa Citizen](/source/Ottawa_Citizen)*. May 3, 2011. 1. ["Daijiken Karate-Kobudo Dojo"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160711074414/http://daijikendojo.webs.com/). Archived from [the original](http://daijikendojo.webs.com/) on 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2025-02-17. 1. ["Okinawa Goju-Ryu Kenshi-kai Karate-jutsu Kobu-jutsu Association North America Headquarters - Kenshi-kai Okinawa Goju-Ryu Karate-jutsu"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170116162543/http://www.ancienthand.net/). Archived from [the original](http://www.ancienthand.net/) on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-16. 1. ["ARCHIVED — Canada Gazette – GOVERNMENT HOUSE"](http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2012-11-03/html/gh-rg-eng.html). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130227023225/http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2012-11-03/html/gh-rg-eng.html) 2013-02-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-02-17. 1. ["Mr. Mathieu Ravignat"](https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/342-77694) ## External links - [Mathieu Ravignat candidate page](http://mathieuravignat.ndp.ca/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mathieu Ravignat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathieu_Ravignat) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathieu_Ravignat?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.