François Legault facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
François Legault
MNA
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Legault in 2024
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32nd Premier of Quebec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office October 18, 2018 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lieutenant Governor |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Geneviève Guilbault | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Philippe Couillard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office November 4, 2011 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Dominique Anglade Maud Cohen Stéphane Le Bouyonnec Sarah Beaumier |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 26, 1957 Lachine, Quebec, Canada |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Coalition Avenir Québec (since 2011) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
Parti Québécois (1998–2009) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Isabelle Brais
(m. 1992) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Édifice Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | HEC Montréal (BBA, MBA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
François Legault (born May 26, 1957) is a Canadian politician. He has been the 32nd premier of Quebec since 2018. The premier is like the head of the government for the province of Quebec.
Legault is a founder of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) party. He has been the leader of this party since it started in 2011. He is also a member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the area of L'Assomption.
Before becoming a politician, he helped start a Canadian airline called Air Transat. He was an MNA from 1998 to 2009. During that time, he served as the Minister of Education and Minister of Health. He was first elected with the Parti Québécois (PQ) party. He later returned to the National Assembly in 2012 with the CAQ. Under his leadership, the CAQ won majority governments in 2018 and 2022. This was the first time in a long time that a government in Quebec was not from the Liberal Party or the Parti Québécois.
Contents
Early Life and Education
François Legault was born on May 26, 1957, in Lachine, Quebec. He grew up in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. His father, Lucien Legault, worked as a postmaster. His mother, Pauline Schetagne, was a housewife and also worked as a cashier.
Legault studied at HEC Montréal. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in business administration. He is also a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Business Career
Before politics, Legault worked in business. He was an administrator for Provigo and an auditor for Ernst & Young. In 1985, he became a finance director at Nationair Canada. He then worked as a marketing director at Quebecair.
In 1986, Legault helped start Air Transat. He was the chief executive officer of the airline until 1997. Air Transat quickly became one of Canada's largest airline companies.
Political Career
Joining the Parti Québécois
Lucien Bouchard, a former premier, encouraged Legault to enter politics. Legault was elected to the National Assembly in the 1998 election. He represented the area of Rousseau.
He quickly became a minister in the government. He was first the Minister for Industry and Commerce. Later, he became the Minister of Education.
When Premier Bouchard resigned, Legault supported Bernard Landry. Landry then appointed Legault as Minister of Education again. Later, he became the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Legault was re-elected in 2003, 2007, and 2008. On June 25, 2009, he announced he would leave politics.
Forming the Coalition Avenir Québec
In February 2011, Legault started a new political group. It was called the "Coalition pour l'avenir du Québec." In November 2011, it became an official political party. Its name is the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ).
The CAQ wanted to unite voters with similar ideas. Legault promised that a CAQ government would not hold a referendum on Quebec's independence. He believed that the long debate about independence had slowed down Quebec's economy. The CAQ focuses on growing the economy first.
In the 2012 election, the CAQ won 19 seats. Legault returned to the National Assembly as the MNA for L'Assomption. In the 2014 election, the CAQ won 22 seats.
In the 2018 election, Legault led the CAQ to a big win. They gained 53 seats, for a total of 74. This gave the CAQ a majority government. Legault became the premier of Quebec. This was a historic moment, as it was the first time in 48 years that the government was not from the Liberal Party or the Parti Québécois.
Legault led the CAQ to another majority win in the 2022 election. His party gained even more seats.
Premier of Quebec (2018–present)
.jpg)
On October 18, 2018, François Legault officially became the Premier of Quebec. This marked a change after almost 50 years of rule by the Liberal and Parti Québécois parties.
Religious Symbols Law
During the 2018 election, Legault's party promised to create a law about religious symbols. On March 28, 2019, the Quebec government introduced Bill 21. This law is called "An Act respecting the laicity of the State."
If passed, this law would stop public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. This includes police officers, judges, and teachers. The bill uses a special part of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to prevent it from being easily challenged in court.
The bill was passed on June 17, 2019. It was supported by the Parti Québécois. The Liberal Party and Quebec Solidaire were against it.
Immigration Policies
The Legault government has made changes to Quebec's immigration policies. They have aimed to decrease the number of new immigrants coming to Quebec. In 2019, the government set a target of 40,000 immigrants.
In 2019, the government also introduced a values test for immigrants. This test checks if immigrants understand Quebec's values. Legault has stated that he wants more French and other European immigrants to come to Quebec.
He has also said that Quebec needs immigrants to learn French and integrate into Quebec society. In June 2022, Legault stated he supports interculturalism and integration. This means immigrants would adapt to Quebec culture and learn French.
Language Laws
In May 2022, Legault's CAQ government passed Bill 96. This bill strengthens the 1970s Charter of the French Language. The bill aims to protect and promote the French language in Quebec.
Legault has said that Quebec risks losing French as an official language. He believes Quebec needs more control over its immigration policy to protect French. He compared this situation to the U.S. state of Louisiana, where French was once widely spoken.
Apology to Indigenous Peoples
In October 2019, Legault apologized to First Nations and Inuit peoples. He apologized for the discrimination they faced from the government. He said that the Quebec government had not done enough to help them.
He also said that apologies are just the first step. More work is needed to remove barriers and fix long-standing problems.
Environmental Goals
.jpg)
In November 2020, Legault announced a plan to fight climate change. This plan includes banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles from 2035. However, commercial vehicles and used cars would still be allowed.
Education Reforms
The Legault government passed Bill 40 on February 8, 2020. This law changed how French school boards in Quebec operate. They were turned into "school service centers."
This bill did not include the nine English school boards. However, some people saw this as weakening English-language education in Quebec.
In April 2022, the Legault government introduced Bill 32. This bill focuses on Academic freedom in universities. The bill was passed in June 2022.
Supporting Local Businesses
Legault and his government have promoted a "buy local" campaign. In early 2020, they created an online directory. This website is called Le Panier Bleu, or "Blue Basket."
The goal of Le Panier Bleu is to be a local version of Amazon. It aims to help sell products made in Quebec. Legault supported the idea of a Quebec version of Amazon to help local businesses.
Labour Relations
In December 2023, many public sector workers in Quebec went on strike. About half a million workers were involved. The government stated it hoped to reach an agreement with the unions before 2024.
Pro-Palestinian Protests
In May 2024, Legault spoke about pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses. He said that police should remove an "illegal" pro-Palestinian camp at McGill University in Montreal.
Personal Life
Legault married Isabelle Brais on March 7, 1992. They were married in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec. They have two children together.
Legault is Catholic.
Awards and Honours
Since 2000, Legault has been a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec. This is the Order of Chartered Accountants of Québec.
See also
In Spanish: François Legault para niños
