Gilbert Parent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gilbert Parent, PC (born 25 July 1935) was a Canadian Member of Parliament. He is best known in his role of Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons between 1994 and 2001.

Parent was born on July 25, 1935, in Mattawa, Ontario. Prior to his election to the House of Commons, he worked as a teacher and was Vice-Principal at Thorold Secondary School.

Parent was elected to Parliament six times as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was first elected in the 1974 election representing the riding of St. Catharines (electoral district). He was re-elected in the 1979, 1980, 1988, 1993 and 1997 elections.

His riding's name was subsequently changed to "Welland" then "Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold" and finally "Niagara Centre". Under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Parent served, at different times between 1977 and 1981, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, to the Minister of Labour and to the Minister of State (Sports).

Parent was defeated in the 1984 election as Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative Party swept to power, but regained his seat four years later.

v • d • e Speakers of the Canadian House of Commons Cockburn · Anglin · Blanchet · Kirkpatrick · Ouimet · White · Edgar · Bain · Brodeur · Belcourt · Sutherland · Marcil · Sproule · Sévigny · Rhodes · Lemieux · Black · Bowman · Casgrain · Glen · Fauteux · Macdonald · Beaudoin · Michener · Lambert · Macnaughton · Lamoureux · Jerome · Sauvé · Francis · Bosley · Fraser · Parent · Milliken