Sylvain Simard

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Sylvain Simard
Incumbent
Riding Richelieu (1994-present)
In office since September 12, 1994
Preceded by Albert Khelfa
Born April 26, 1945 (1945-04-26) (age 63)
Chicoutimi, Quebec
Political party

Parti québécois

Profession(s) teacher
Portfolio(s) Treasury Board

Sylvain Simard (born April 26, 1945 in Chicoutimi, Quebec) is a politician and academic in Quebec, Canada. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Richelieu in the Montérégie region.

Simard went at the Université de Montréal and received a bachelor's degree in pedagogy. He added a master's degree in arts from McGill University and a doctor's degree in comparative literature from the University of Bordeaux in France.

Simard was first involved in the Parti Québécois (PQ) as a regional organizer in Outaouais. Prior to his first election, Simard was a French literature professor at the University of Ottawa for 18 years.

He was first elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the Richelieu riding in 1994 and re-elected in 1998, 2003 and 2007. He served as Minister of International Affairs, Minister of Education, for the Francophonie and President of the Treasury Board. He was also the Minister responsible for the Outaouais from 1996 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2003. After the 2003 elections, he served as the PQ critic for the Treasury Board, government services, international relations and intergovernmental affairs.

After the PQ's electoral defeat to the Quebec Liberal Party in 2003, Simard backed Bernard Landry in his efforts to keep his leadership. Simard was a key strategist in trying to deliver a decent confidence vote to Landry in 2005.

He supported André Boisclair in his PQ leadership bid, while he previously convinced Pauline Marois to run.

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by
François Legault
Minister of Education (Québec)
20022003
Succeeded by
Pierre Reid
Preceded by
Jacques Leonard
President of the Treasury Board (Quebec)
20012002
Succeeded by
Joseph Facal
Preceded by
Francois Legault
Minister of Employment
20022003
Succeeded by
Claude Bechard
Preceded by
Bernard Landry
Minister of International Relations
19961998
Succeeded by
Louise Beaudoin
National Assembly of Quebec
Preceded by
Albert Khelfa
MNA for Richelieu
1994–present
Succeeded by
incumbent
Languages