René Arseneault | |
|---|---|
 Arseneault in 2023 | |
| Member of Parliament forMadawaska—Restigouche | |
| In office October 19, 2015 – March 23, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Bernard Valcourt |
| Succeeded by | Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1966-07-01)July 1, 1966 (age 59) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Michèle Pelletier |
| Residence | Charlo, New Brunswick[1] |
| Profession | Lawyer |
René Arseneault (French pronunciation:[ʁəneaʁsəno]; born July 1, 1966) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who represented theriding ofMadawaska—Restigouche in theHouse of Commons from2015 to2025.[2] A member of theLiberal Party, he did not seek reelection after three terms in office.
Arseneault earned an undergraduate degree in economics and political science, followed by a law degree from theUniversité de Moncton. He established a law practice with his wife Michèle Pelletier in 1996.[3]
On becoming a lawyer, he succeeded in overturning a requirement to swear an oath to the monarch and became the first lawyer in New Brunswick to join the bar without swearing the oath.[4]
Arsenault was elected as a Member of Parliament forMadawaska—Restigouche in the2015 federal election.
Arsenault was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Official Languages) on December 12, 2019.[5]
On August 16, 2024, Arseneault announced that he would not be running in the 2025 election.[6]
In February 2016, Arseneault broke ranks from many of his fellow Liberals when he voted against aConservative Party motion rejecting theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Arseneault addressed his vote by later stating that "he did not have a clear conscience with the motion as proposed," further adding that it would have been different if the motion were one which condemned organizations that promotedantisemitism. He disagreed with the motion's claim that the movement was "demonizingIsrael" and rather described the movement as "encouragingboycotts of certain Israeli products made in theoccupied territories." Arseneault added that this condemnation, in his opinion, violated Canadianfreedom of expression.[7] The motion was also voted against by two other Liberals as well as theNew Democratic Party and theBloc Québécois.[8]
| 2021 Canadian federal election:Madawaska—Restigouche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | René Arseneault | 16,854 | 55.22 | +4.94 | $38,339.96 | |||
| Conservative | Shawn Beaulieu | 7,857 | 25.74 | -2.69 | $33,053.20 | |||
| People's | Nancy Mercier | 1,889 | 6.19 | – | $0.00 | |||
| New Democratic | Elizabeth MacDonald | 1,859 | 6.09 | -0.33 | $0.00 | |||
| Free | Louis Berube | 1,277 | 4.18 | – | $0.00 | |||
| Green | Rebecca Blaevoet | 786 | 2.58 | -12.29 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 30,522 | 100.0 | – | $104,119.82 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 30,522 | 60.74 | -8.37 | |||||
| Registered voters | 50,252 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | +3.82 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[9] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election:Madawaska—Restigouche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | René Arseneault | 17,331 | 50.28 | -5.42 | $69,640.81 | |||
| Conservative | Nelson Fox | 9,801 | 28.43 | +11.95 | $41,501.75 | |||
| Green | Louis Bérubé | 5,125 | 14.87 | +12.97 | $11,518.03 | |||
| New Democratic | Chad Betteridge | 2,212 | 6.42 | -19.50 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 34.469 | 98.13 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 657 | 1.87 | +0.95 | |||||
| Turnout | 35,126 | 69.11 | -4.86 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 50,828 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -8.68 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[10][11] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election:Madawaska—Restigouche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | René Arseneault | 20,778 | 55.70 | +20.91 | $66,315.47 | |||
| New Democratic | Rosaire L'Italien | 9,670 | 25.92 | +6.58 | $92,730.82 | |||
| Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 6,151 | 16.49 | -23.99 | $101,364.85 | |||
| Green | Françoise Aubin | 707 | 1.90 | +0.10 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 37,306 | 99.08 | $199,271.58 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 348 | 0.92 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 37,654 | 74.02 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 50,871 | |||||||
| Liberalgain fromConservative | Swing | +22.45 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[12][13] | ||||||||
Mr. Arseneault successfully challenged a requirement to swear an oath to the Queen when he joined the bar in New Brunswick.