Yves-François Blanchet
- Born
- April 16, 1965 — Drummondville, Quebec
- Family
- Married and is now separated from Nancy Déziel.
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in history and anthropology in 1987 from the Université de Montréal
- Career
- Teacher, founder of an artist, disc and concert management firm, YFB Inc., president of the ADISQ from 2003 to 2006, columnist with Le Nouvelliste
- Political Experience
- Member of the Youth National Committee of the Parti Québécois in 1988, regional director of the PQ, MNA for the Parti Québécois (PQ) from 2008 until 2014, Quebec's Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from 2012 to 2014, Leader of the Bloc Québécois since 2019, MP for Beloeil—Chambly since 2019
- Notable
- Named the local business personality of the year by the Drummondville Chamber of Commerce, while he and associated artists received 10 Félix Awards.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Yves-François Blanchet had a career in Quebec's music and entertainment industry. He was the president of the Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ) from 2003 to 2006. He also worked as an artist manager, most notably for Quebec rock singer Éric Lapointe. Blanchet also has significant experience in provincial politics. He was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in 2008 as a member of the Parti Québécois. From 2012 to 2014, he served as the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks in the government of Premier Pauline Marois.
Key Relationships & Connections
As the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Blanchet's key relationships are with other political leaders. He served as a cabinet minister under former Quebec Premier Pauline Marois. In his current role, he frequently interacts and negotiates with the Prime Minister and the leaders of other federal parties in the House of Commons. He also maintains a significant public relationship with the current Premier of Quebec, François Legault, as they are both leaders of major political parties focused on Quebec's interests, though they represent different approaches to the province's place in Canada.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
In 2020, questions were raised after it was reported that a company co-owned by his spouse, Nancy Déziel, had received the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). Déziel is also the mayor of Shawinigan. The situation drew criticism from opposition parties who questioned the appropriateness of a company linked to the leader of a federal party receiving the subsidy. According to reports, the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner reviewed the matter but did not open a formal investigation. The commissioner's office reportedly concluded that no rules under the Conflict of Interest Act had been broken.
Public Controversies
In July 2020, Yves-François Blanchet faced anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to 1999, which were published on a Facebook page. Blanchet publicly and strongly denied the allegations, stating they were false. He temporarily stepped back from his duties for a few days but returned after the Bloc Québécois caucus reaffirmed its confidence in him. The person who made the allegations did not come forward publicly or file a formal complaint with the police. Blanchet also faced public criticism regarding the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) received by a company co-owned by his wife. While the Ethics Commissioner reportedly found no rules were broken, the issue was a subject of political controversy and media attention.
Where Yves-François falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
Yves-François Blanchet won with 32,844 votes (48.3%)
Total votes cast: 68,052
How does Yves-François Blanchet's voting record line up with your values?
C‑39 Mr. Speaker, Billseems to reveal the Prime Minister's real priority in building his Canada strong. It is really about building a pipeline for western oil companies by suspending environmental laws. The Prime Minister is not hiding the fact that he is doing this to appease the Alberta separatists. If Bill C‑39 is good for appeasing Alberta separatists, perhaps it will also be good for
Mr. Speaker, he sacrificed billions of dollars earmarked for culture by caving to pressure from the tech giants. In the fight against climate change, he has completely surrendered. He is not providing sufficient support for the aluminum and forestry sectors, yet when a pipeline is involved, there is $40 billion available for oil, which is not even tariffed. The companies are owned by Americans.
Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that the largest project for Quebec is actually in Newfoundland and Labrador. The cost of the Prime Minister's new pipeline is currently estimated at $40 billion. We can only imagine how much it will actually end up costing. Quebeckers' share of the bill for this gift for the American-owned oil companies in western Canada will come out to at least $9 billion. That
Mr. Speaker, Quebec democracy has spoken, and now more than ever, the future belongs to us. Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois, has been elected the 34th Premier of Quebec, backed by a delegation of 59 outstanding members of the National Assembly. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer my friend Paul my most sincere congratulations. I would also like to offer
Mr. Speaker, this is not an idle question. We are talking about permanently suspending the rule of law and possibly the Constitution to benefit foreign multinationals. Some people are even talking about putting parts of Quebec and the provinces under federal control. C‑39 Does the Prime Minister recognize that Billwill result in Ottawa taking control of parts of Quebec and the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, first, there were projects of national interest. Then there were corridors of national interest. Now there are regions of national interest. C‑39 The Bloc Québécois, experts and media outlets know that, with Bill, the federal government is permanently taking over jurisdiction from Quebec and the provinces, particularly regarding the environment, and suspending its own laws based on
Mr. Speaker, that is not evident. Asking for something to be clarified is not synonymous with opposing it. Will the Prime Minister commit to fixing or amending Bill C‑39 to state that the existing areas of jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces will remain intact, that despite Bill C‑39, or even with Bill C‑39, the application will not be permanent, and that nothing that is done in Quebec
Prime Minister Mr. Speaker, we are making progress. He named one. Thesays he is building a stronger Canada to stand up to the United States. Suddenly, sovereignty has become a virtue. However, the Prime Minister is destroying any attempt to rein in climate change, and he is handing the keys to oil companies. The majority of shareholders in western Canadian oil companies are American, 90% of
C‑39 Mr. Speaker, when it comes to taxation, labour rights and the labour code, and the environment, Billis a brutal step backward. Tucked into this bill are provisions saying that oil and nuclear projects will be automatically approved and, even worse, that this will be done in advance. Does the government realize that the framework protecting the people of Quebec and Canada, which took so many
Prime Minister Mr. Speaker, first they privatized airports, now they are privatizing ports. What is more, the government is entrusting the oil companies with a sham environmental assessment process, basically handing over control of Quebec's and Canada's resources to an international financial oligarchy. Things were already bad enough under Justin Trudeau. They are no better under the new. How
Mr. Speaker, I want to add two points. First, I was in the cultural sector for 20 years in a professional capacity. I know a thing or two about it. Second, corporate contributions have no impact on the cost for users because they are investments the companies would have made anyway. They are funnelled into Quebec and Canada. Given that the Prime Minister wants to build closer ties with Europe,
Mr. Speaker, given the frequency of attendance here, I will take this as a great sign of respect for the voters and citizens of Quebec and Canada. In my view, the Prime Minister has failed in his strategy to appease the American President. In light of this failure, he should reconsider his decision, which we would welcome, so that the web giants, which are wealthier than some countries around
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister personally cancelled contributions of any kind by tech giants to the economy or the arts in Quebec and Canada, including through taxes or content creation, simply to appease the American President. The effort fell flat. Although I remain unconvinced, the Prime Minister claims to have walked away from the negotiation table for language and culture-related reasons.