Gérard D.[1] Levesque[2] (May 2, 1926 – November 17, 1993) was a longtimeQuebec politician andCabinet minister, who twice served asinterim leader of theQuebec Liberal Party.
Levesque was first elected to what is now called theQuebec National Assembly in the riding ofBonaventure in1956 and sat in thelegislature continuously until the end of his life. UnderPremierJean Lesage he served as minister of housing and fisheries and then as minister for trade. In the first cabinet ofRobert Bourassa, who came to power in1970, he served in various capacities including minister of trade,Minister of Justice and deputy premier.
After the defeat of the Bourassa government in1976, Levesque served asLeader of the opposition until 1979, while leadersRobert Bourassa and thenClaude Ryan were without parliamentary seats. Levesque was noted for his fierce opposition to what was introduced as Bill 1, theCharter of the French Language; his procedural wrangling meant it had to be eventually reintroduced as Bill 101. Levesque was alsointerim leader of the party between Bourassa's resignation and the election of Ryan. Levesque again served as Leader of the Opposition and acting leader of the party from August 1982 to September 1983 after the resignation of Ryan and until the return of Bourassa for his second stint as party leader.
In the second Bourassa government, elected in1985, Levesque served as minister of finance, a position he held until his death in 1993 at the age of 67.
The name of the fictional character Gérard D. Laflaque, protagonist of the satirical TV programEt Dieu créa... Laflaque, is a variation of his name.
Lambert, Serge (1992).Gérard D. Levesque, le maître politique. Sainte-Foy: GID Design.ISBN 978-2-9802952-0-1.OCLC 26930803.
| National Assembly of Quebec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | MNA, District ofBonaventure 1956–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition in Quebec 1976–1979 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition in Quebec 1982–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Official OppositionHouse Leader 1985–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Finance (Quebec) 1985–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Pierre Laporte | Deputy Premier of Quebec 1972–1976 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
