Dominic LeBlanc

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The Honourable
Dominic LeBlanc
PC MP
Dominic LeBlanc.jpg
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Assumed office
November 4, 2015
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Preceded by Peter Van Loan
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (acting)
Assumed office
May 31, 2016
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Preceded by Hunter Tootoo
Member of Parliament
for Beauséjour
Assumed office
November 27, 2000
Preceded by Angela Vautour
Personal details
Born (1967-12-14) December 14, 1967 (age 48)
Ottawa, Ontario
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Jolène Richard
Residence Moncton, New Brunswick
Profession Lawyer
Religion Roman Catholic[1]
Website DominicLeBlanc.ca

Dominic A. LeBlanc, PC MP (born December 14, 1967), is a Canadian lawyer and politician from New Brunswick, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Beauséjour and sits in the Canadian House of Commons as the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons of Canada. He was first elected in the 2000 federal election and has been re-elected in the last four elections. LeBlanc is the son of former Member of Parliament, Senator and Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc.[2]

LeBlanc ran for leadership of Liberal Party in 2008 but dropped out of the race to endorse Michael Ignatieff, who was later acclaimed leader. With the resignation of Ignatieff after the 2011 federal election LeBlanc was considered a likely candidate in the race to succeed him as party leader, but declined on running.[3][4]

On November 4, 2015, he was appointed the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in the present Cabinet, headed by Justin Trudeau. On May 31, 2016, upon the resignation of Hunter Tootoo from the Ministry, LeBlanc also assumed the role of Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Early life and education[edit]

LeBlanc was born in Ottawa, Ontario, to Roméo LeBlanc and Joslyn "Lyn" Carter. As a child, he baby-sat Justin, Alexandre, and Michel Trudeau, the children of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He has remained friends with Justin Trudeau, with whom he is currently serving with in the House of Commons, and endorsed his candidacy for Liberal leader in 2012.[4]

LeBlanc attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute for high school.[5] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Toronto (Trinity College), a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of New Brunswick, and then attended Harvard Law School, where he obtained his Master of Laws degree.

Prior to being elected to the House of Commons, LeBlanc was a Barrister and Solicitor with Clark Drummie in Shediac and Moncton. From 1993-1996, LeBlanc was a Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. He is the son of the former Governor General of Canada, The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, who had previously been the Member of Parliament for Westmorland-Kent from 1972 to 1984, and then a Senator from 1984 to 1994.[6]

LeBlanc is an Acadian. In 2003, he married Jolène Richard, a Provincial Court judge and daughter of Guy A. Richard, who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick.[7]

Political career[edit]

LeBlanc is member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Beauséjour in New Brunswick. He first ran in that riding in 1997,[8] losing to New Democratic Party candidate, Angela Vautour.[9] In 2000 he once again ran against Vautour, who had crossed the floor and was a Progressive Conservative, and was elected.[10] LeBlanc has been re-elected in the 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011 federal elections.

Regarding the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party, LeBlanc, a prospective leadership candidate, puts it, the next leader needs to commit 10 to 15 years of his or her life "occupied exclusively" with rebuilding the Liberal party and winning elections.[11]

Chrétien and Martin governments[edit]

During the Liberal Party's time in power LeBlanc served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, from January 13, 2003, to December 11, 2003, and was the chair of the Atlantic Caucus. On July 10, 2004, he was sworn-in as a Member of the Privy Council for Canada and appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Deputy Chief Government Whip. He has served on the Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs, and the Standing Committees on Fisheries and Oceans, Transport and Government Operations, National Defence and Veterans Affairs, and Public Accounts, Procedures and House Affairs, and International Trade.

In opposition[edit]

In January 2006, he was named Official Opposition critic for international trade and later that year he was co-chair of the 2006 Liberal Party leadership convention in Montreal. In January 2007, he was named by the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Vice Chair - Liberal Party of Canada Policy and Platform Committee and In October of that year, he was named Official Opposition critic for intergovernmental affairs. In January 2009, he was named by the Honourable Michael Ignatieff as the critic for justice and attorney general. Before the return of Parliament in September 2010, Ignatieff shuffled his Shadow Cabinet and appointed LeBlanc as the Liberal critic for national defence.[12] Following LeBlanc's re-election in the 2011 federal election, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae appointed LeBlanc as the Liberal Party's Foreign Affairs Critic.

2008 leadership bid[edit]

On October 27, 2008, LeBlanc was the first candidate to officially announce his intention to seek the leadership of the Liberal party to replace Stéphane Dion. Former leadership candidates Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae came forward shortly after LeBlanc's announcement.[13] His supporters included top staffers in the prime minister's office under Jean Chrétien, such as his former chief of staff Percy Downe, and Tim Murphy, chief of staff under Paul Martin. Some senior organizers in Gerard Kennedy's 2006 leadership bid were also with LeBlanc.[14]

On December 8, 2008, LeBlanc announced he was dropping out of the leadership race because he felt a leader needed to be put in place as soon as possible and that he was throwing his support behind Ignatieff. The next day Rae dropped out of the race and Ignatieff was acclaimed leader when Dion stepped down.[15][16]

Trudeau government[edit]

On November 4, 2015, he was appointed the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in the present Cabinet, headed by Justin Trudeau.[17] On May 31, 2016, upon the resignation of Hunter Tootoo from the Ministry, LeBlanc also assumed the role of Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.[18]

Electoral record[edit]

Canadian federal election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 36,534 69.02 +28.33 –
New Democratic Hélène Boudreau 8,009 15.13 –8.30 –
Conservative Ann Bastarache 6,017 11.37 –20.34 –
Green Kevin King 2,376 4.49 +0.32 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 52,936 100.0     $200,095.92
Liberal hold Swing +24.34
Canadian federal election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 17,399 39.08 -7.68
Conservative Evelyn Chapman 14,814 33.27 +4.12
New Democratic Susan Levi-Peters 10,397 23.35 +6.47
Green Natalie Arsenault 1,913 4.3 -2.89
Total valid votes/Expense limit – 100.00
Liberal hold Swing +5.90
Canadian federal election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 19,972 46.6 -0.95
Conservative Omer Léger 12,512 29.2 -3.03
New Democratic Chris Durrant 7,219 16.8 +0.13
Green Mike Milligan 3,187 7.4 +4.61
Total valid votes 42,890
Liberal hold Swing -2.08
Canadian federal election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 22,012 47.55 -5.73
Conservative Omer Léger 14,919 32.23 +4.04
New Democratic Neil Gardner 7,717 16.67 +1.96
Green Anna Girouard 1,290 2.79 -1.03
Independent Frank Comeau 357 0.77 Ø
Total valid votes 46,295
Liberal hold Swing +4.89
Canadian federal election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 21,934 53.28 +6.18
Conservative Angela Vautour 11,604 28.19 -17.65
New Democratic Omer Bourque 6,056 14.71 +7.65
Green Anna Girouard 1,574 3.82 Ø
Total valid votes 41,168
Liberal hold Swing +11.92
Canadian federal election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 21,465 47.10 +12.27
Progressive Conservative Angela Vautour 14,631 32.11 +16.11
Alliance Tom Taylor 6256 13.73 +3.55
New Democratic Inka Milewski 3217 7.06 -31.93
Total valid votes 45,569
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +22.10
Canadian federal election, 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
New Democratic Angela Vautour 18,504 38.99 +33.25
Liberal Dominic LeBlanc 16,529 34.83 -41.20
Progressive Conservative Ian Hamilton 7592 16.00 +0.78
Reform Raymond Braun 4833 10.18 Ø
Total valid votes 47,458
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +37.23

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://www2.macleans.ca/tag/dominic-leblanc/page/3/
  2. ^ "Romeo LeBlanc, 1927-2009". Maclean's. June 24, 2009. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  3. ^ "LeBlanc eyes Liberal leadership". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2011-04-08. 
  4. ^ a b "Justin Trudeau's leadership bid backed by LeBlanc". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012. 
  5. ^ Kennedy, Mark (1 December 2015). "Dominic LeBlanc is Trudeau's go-to guy. Here's why". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 1 December 2015. 
  6. ^ Biography
  7. ^ "Province names new judge, wife of MP Dominic LeBlanc". CBC News. November 14, 2008. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  8. ^ "Governor General's son wins Liberal nomination". Southam Newspapers. April 19, 1997. Archived from the original on February 25, 1999. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  9. ^ "Beausejour, not Bay Street". The Chronicle Herald. June 4, 1997. Archived from the original on July 27, 2001. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  10. ^ "Liberals gain three seats in NB". CBC News. November 28, 2000. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  11. ^ "The Ottawa Citizen - Liberals set to lay out latest leadership race rules". The Ottawa Citizen. The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved September 12, 2012. 
  12. ^ .Ignatieff shuffles shadow cabinet
  13. ^ Brian Laghi and Omar El Akkad (2008-10-27). "LeBlanc seeks, Manley tests Liberal support". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  14. ^ Beausejour MP to run for federal Liberal leadership, wants to be a voice for middle-class, younger generation
  15. ^ "Dion to step aside; LeBlanc supports Ignatieff". CTV. 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  16. ^ "Rae bows out, offers 'unqualified' support for Ignatieff as Liberal leader". CBC News. December 9, 2008. Retrieved 2015-05-25. 
  17. ^ "Full list of Justin Trudeau's cabinet 31-member cabinet includes 15 women, attempt at regional balance". CBC News. 2015-11-04. 
  18. ^ "Hunter Tootoo resigns as fisheries minister, leaves Liberal caucus". CBC News. May 31, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016. 

External links[edit]

29th Ministry – Cabinet of Justin Trudeau
Cabinet Post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Peter Van Loan Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
2015–present		 Incumbent
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