Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois
MNA
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Nadeau-Dubois in October 2020
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| Co-Spokesperson for Québec Solidaire | |
| Assumed office May 21, 2017 Serving with Christine Labrie
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| Preceded by | Andrés Fontecilla |
| Member of the National Assembly for Gouin |
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| Assumed office May 29, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Françoise David |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 31, 1990 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Political party | Québec Solidaire |
| Education | Université du Québec à Montréal (MSo) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Awards | Prix impératif français (2013) |
| Nickname | "GND" |
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois (born May 31, 1990) is a politician from Canada. He is a co-spokesperson for the Québec solidaire political party. He has held this role since May 21, 2017.
He was also elected as a member of the provincial parliament (called the National Assembly) on May 29, 2017. Before becoming a politician, he was well known for his role in the 2012 Quebec student protests. He was a spokesperson for a large group of student associations called CLASSE. This group was against a big increase in tuition fees for university students.
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Early Life and Activism
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois grew up in a family of activists. His parents were involved in social causes. His father was also an environmental and union activist.
When he was young, Gabriel often went with his father to protests and union meetings. Instead of doing his homework, he listened to the speeches. This made him interested in politics. He started reading newspapers, hoping to become a journalist.
At his private school in Montreal, he got good grades. He also liked to question things. For example, when the school wanted to choose student representatives, he argued that students should vote for them instead. His idea was put into action the next year.
Student Life and Protests
In 2007, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois joined a student group called ASSÉ. He was a student at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne. Later, he became the vice-president of his student association. He was in charge of external affairs.
In 2009, he started studying at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). He studied part-time to focus on student activism. He also received a scholarship to help with his studies. In 2010, he became a spokesperson for ASSÉ.
In December 2011, he became a co-spokesperson for CLASSE. This was a large group of student associations. They were against the government's plan to raise university tuition fees by $1,625.
The 2012 Student Protests
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During the 2012 Quebec student protests, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois became a well-known figure. The media often saw him as a leader of the student movement. However, CLASSE worked by direct democracy. This means decisions were made by all members, not by a single leader. Gabriel and others were spokespersons, not leaders.
Being in the public eye was hard for him. He received many threats and had to have bodyguards at protests. In June 2012, he said he was tired. He announced he would leave his role as spokesperson at the end of the strike. He felt the media watched him too much, even though he had less power than other student leaders.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois resigned as CLASSE spokesperson on August 9, 2012. He wrote that the strike had brought up important issues. He felt it questioned unfair systems.
Court Case During Protests
During the protests, a student named Jean-François Morasse wanted to continue his classes. He asked a court to allow him to do so. The court agreed. Later, Morasse took legal action against Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. This was because of comments Gabriel made on TV. Gabriel had said it was fair for students to take action to make sure the strike was respected. He mentioned that picket lines were a fair way to do this.
This court case was the only one of its kind during the student protests. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said the situation was "sad." He was found responsible by a court in November 2012. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service. However, he appealed the decision.
In January 2015, a higher court in Quebec overturned the ruling. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was cleared. Morasse then appealed this decision to the highest court in Canada, the Supreme Court. In October 2016, the Supreme Court also ruled in favor of Nadeau-Dubois. They said his comments about picketing did not mean blocking classes, which was against the court order.
Political Career
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Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois used to say he was not interested in becoming a politician. He believed that being an activist was the best way to achieve social justice and free education.
After leaving his role as CLASSE spokesperson, he worked for a construction union. He did research on their history.
In 2013, he won the Prix impératif français. This award recognized his efforts to make education available to everyone. In 2014, he won the Governor General's Award for French-language non-fiction for his book, Tenir tête. This book was about the events of 2012. He donated his $25,000 prize money to fight against the Energy East pipeline project. He also helped raise more money for this cause.
In March 2017, Nadeau-Dubois decided to enter politics. He sought to become a co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire. He also ran to be their candidate in the Gouin area of Montreal. Québec Solidaire is a left-wing party that supports Quebec becoming its own country.
Nadeau-Dubois won the election on May 29, 2017. He became a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Gouin. In the Quebec election of October 1, 2018, he won Gouin again. He is currently the party's leader in the parliament.
In Literature
A novel called Tenir parole was published in 2017. It tells a story about Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois during the 2012 student strike. The story is told from his point of view.
Honours
- Prix Impératif français 2013.
- Governor General’s Literary Awards 2014 for Tenir tête.
See also
- 2012 Quebec student protests
- Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante
