Pauline Marois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pauline Marois
Marois in 2013
30th Premier of Quebec
In office September 19, 2012 – April 23, 2014
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Pierre Duchesne
Deputy	François Gendron
Preceded by	Jean Charest
Succeeded by	Philippe Couillard
Leader of the Opposition of Quebec
In office December 9, 2008 – September 19, 2012
Preceded by	Mario Dumont
Succeeded by	Jean-Marc Fournier
Leader of the Parti Québécois
In office June 27, 2007 – June 7, 2014
President	Monique Richard Jonathan Valois Raymond Archambault
Preceded by	François Gendron (interim)
Succeeded by	Stéphane Bédard (interim)
Deputy Premier of Quebec
In office March 8, 2001 – April 29, 2003
Premier	Bernard Landry
Preceded by	Bernard Landry
Succeeded by	Monique Gagnon-Tremblay
Quebec Executive Council Minister of Finance In office March 8, 2001 – April 29, 2003 Premier Bernard Landry Preceded by Bernard Landry Succeeded by Yves Séguin In office November 3, 1995 – January 29, 1996 Premier Jacques Parizeau Preceded by Jean Campeau Succeeded by Bernard Landry (Economy and Finance) Minister of Health and Social Services In office December 15, 1998 – March 8, 2001 Premier Lucien Bouchard Preceded by Jean Rochon Succeeded by Rémy Trudel Minister of Education In office January 28, 1996 – December 15, 1998 Premier Lucien Bouchard Preceded by Jean Garon Succeeded by François Legault President of the Treasury Board In office September 26, 1994 – November 3, 1995 Premier Jacques Parizeau Vice President Jacques Léonard Preceded by Monique Gagnon-Tremblay Succeeded by Jacques Léonard Minister of Manpower and Income Security In office November 29, 1983 – December 12, 1985 Premier René Lévesque Pierre-Marc Johnson Preceded by Pierre Marois Succeeded by Pierre Paradis
Parliamentary constituencies Member of the National Assembly In office September 24, 2007 – April 7, 2014 Preceded by Rosaire Bertrand Succeeded by Caroline Simard Constituency Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré (Charlevoix; 2007–2012) In office September 25, 1989 – March 20, 2006 Preceded by Claude Filion Succeeded by Marie Malavoy Constituency Taillon In office April 13, 1981 – December 2, 1985 Preceded by Riding established Succeeded by Lawrence Cannon Constituency La Peltrie
Personal details
Born	(1949-03-29) March 29, 1949 (age 76) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Political party	Parti Québécois
Residences	Old Montreal and Charlevoix
Occupation	Politician Civil Servant Social worker

Pauline Marois (born March 29, 1949) is a Canadian politician who used to be the 30th premier of Quebec from 2012 to 2014. She was a member of the National Assembly of Quebec for many years, starting in 1981. She was also the leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) from 2007 to 2014. Pauline Marois made history as the first female premier of Quebec.

Pauline grew up in a working-class family. She studied social work at Université Laval and became involved in community groups. She also joined the Parti Québécois, a political party that supports Quebec's independence. After working in government offices, she was first elected as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) in 1981. At 32, she became a junior minister in the government led by René Lévesque.

After some time out of politics, she was elected again in 1989. When the PQ returned to power in 1994, leaders like Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard, and Bernard Landry gave her important jobs in the Quebec government. She helped create new rules for public schools, changed how university tuition worked, started a program for affordable daycare, and helped reduce Quebec's debt. In 2001, she became Deputy Premier of Quebec, which is the second-highest position in the provincial government.

After trying twice to become the leader of the Parti Québécois, she briefly left politics in 2006. But a year later, she became the party's leader without anyone running against her. From 2008 to 2012, she was the leader of the Official Opposition. Even though some people in her party challenged her leadership, she was strong and earned the nickname Dame de béton, meaning "Concrete Lady." She led the Parti Québécois to win the 2012 election, forming a minority government, and became the first female premier of Quebec.

As Premier, Marois closed Quebec's only nuclear reactor and stopped asbestos production. Her government also proposed a Quebec Charter of Values. This idea would have prevented government employees from wearing religious symbols like turbans or veils. However, the crucifix in the provincial legislature would not have been banned. Her party lost the next election in 2014, which she had called herself. Pauline Marois lost her own seat and then announced she would step down as PQ leader. Her government was the shortest in Quebec since Canada was formed.

Growing Up and Starting Out

Early Life and Education

Pauline Marois was born in Quebec City in 1949. She was the oldest of five children. Her father was a heavy machinery mechanic, and her mother stayed at home. She grew up in a small brick house built by her father in Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon, a village near Quebec City.

Her parents were proud Quebecers and religious, but not very involved in politics. Pauline remembers her father keeping up with the news and even buying a television in the early 1950s. She says her parents believed in getting a good education, and all five children went on to earn university degrees.

Pauline first went to a small local school. She was good at French, history, and geography, and loved to read. At 12, she went to an exclusive private school for girls. This was a big change for her, as she came from a working-class family and saw the differences in social status. She sometimes helped her mother clean houses to help pay for her tuition. She was a good student, though she struggled a bit with English and Latin.

In 1968, she started studying social work at Université Laval in Quebec City. At that time, she was more interested in helping the poor and international issues than in Quebec independence. She even took part in protests against the Vietnam War.

Federal office buildings being built in Hull in the early 1970s.

The next year, she married Claude Blanchet, her high school sweetheart. He was interested in business, and they started their life together. In 1970, she did an internship in Hull (now part of Gatineau), helping to start a consumer advocacy group. This experience, along with the October Crisis in Quebec, made a big impact on her. She said she arrived in the region feeling like a French Canadian, but left feeling like a Quebecer.

Starting Her Career

After her internship, Pauline worked with several community groups. She also taught social work for a while and became the CEO of a local health and social services center (CLSC). She volunteered for the Parti Québécois, helping out on election day in 1973.

After moving to Montreal, she earned a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from HEC Montréal. She even took classes with Jacques Parizeau, who would later become a premier. After graduating, she led the childhood services division at a social services center in Montreal.

In 1978, she joined Jacques Parizeau's office at the Department of Finance. Later, in 1979, she became chief of staff for Lise Payette, the minister responsible for women's issues. Payette encouraged her to become more involved in women's rights.

First Steps in Politics

Minister in Lévesque's Government

In 1981, even though she was seven months pregnant, Pauline Marois decided to run for the Parti Québécois in the election. She won her seat and became one of only eight women elected that year. Just 11 days after becoming an MNA, she gave birth to her second child.

Less than a week later, she joined René Lévesque's government as the minister for the status of women. She then became vice-chair of the Treasury Board in 1982 and was promoted to minister of labour and income security in 1983.

In 1984, there was some disagreement within Lévesque's government about Quebec's future. Pauline Marois was one of 12 ministers who signed a letter asking the Premier to keep Quebec's independence as the main goal for the next election. She did not resign from her position, unlike some others.

After Lévesque resigned in 1985, Marois ran for party leader. She finished second, but it was a good start for her in leadership races.

Time in Opposition

After losing her seat in the 1985 election, she worked with feminist groups and as a consultant. She also lectured at a university. She stayed involved with the Parti Québécois leadership.

In 1988, Jacques Parizeau convinced her to return to the PQ's main committee to help with the party's plans. She ran in a by-election but lost. However, she ran again in 1989 in the riding of Taillon and won. She became a critic for industry and trade, and later for the Treasury Board, in Parizeau's shadow cabinet (the opposition's team).

A Powerful Minister

"Minister of Everything"

After being re-elected in 1994, Pauline Marois became one of the most important ministers in the PQ governments led by Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard, and Bernard Landry. For nine years, she was a very influential figure in Quebec politics. She is the only politician in Quebec history to have held the three most important government jobs: Finance, Education, and Health.

She first became the head of the Treasury Board and the minister of family under Jacques Parizeau. After the 1995 Quebec independence referendum was narrowly defeated, she briefly held the finance job before becoming the Minister of Education under the new Premier, Lucien Bouchard.

As Minister of Education, she tried to increase university tuition fees, but students protested strongly. In the end, the government kept tuition frozen. However, she did introduce fees for students from outside Quebec and for failing college courses. She also successfully changed the public school system from religious-based to language-based (French or English) in 1997.

She also started a popular program in 1997 that offered subsidized daycare for only $5 a day, which helped many working families.

In the PQ's second term, she was Minister of Health from 1998 to 2001. Then, Bernard Landry made her the Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, roles she held for two years. By 2003, she had held 15 different ministerial positions and played a key role in the PQ government's achievements.

Second Leadership Race

A debate during the 2005 PQ leadership campaign.

After the PQ lost the 2003 election, Pauline Marois quickly started preparing to run for party leader. She announced her candidacy in the 2005 leadership election after Bernard Landry resigned. She came in second place with 30.6% of the votes.

Even though many people in the PQ saw her as one of the most important ministers in Quebec's history, she decided to leave the National Assembly in March 2006. She said that after 25 years in politics, it was time for her to do other things.

Leader of the Parti Québécois

Becoming Party Leader

Pauline Marois in 2011.

In the March 26, 2007, Quebec provincial election, the Parti Québécois finished in third place. After this disappointing result, the PQ leader resigned. Pauline Marois was seen as a top choice to replace him.

On May 11, 2007, Marois announced she would run for PQ leader for the third time. No one else ran against her, so she became the leader on June 27, 2007. She led the party from outside the National Assembly until she won a by-election in the riding of Charlevoix on September 24, 2007.

In this by-election, the other major parties did not run candidates against her, which is a tradition in Canadian politics when a party leader needs a seat. Marois won with 58.2% of the votes.

After becoming leader, Marois said that holding a referendum on Quebec's independence would not be her main goal for a while. She focused on other issues, like helping the forestry industry.

Leader of the Opposition

In 2008, the Quebec government called an early election. The PQ campaign gained strength after Marois's strong performance in a televised debate against the other party leaders. The PQ won 15 more seats in the National Assembly and increased its share of the popular vote. While they didn't win the election, they became the Official Opposition, which was seen as a victory for the party. Pauline Marois became the first woman to be elected leader of the Official Opposition in Quebec.

Marois and her team strongly challenged the Liberal government over claims of corruption and illegal political funding. They pushed for an inquiry, which led to the Charbonneau Commission in 2011. This commission uncovered a history of illegal payments involving many political parties.

In 2011, despite some challenges to her leadership within her own party, Marois led the Parti Québécois. She earned the nickname "Concrete Lady" for her strong will.

Premier of Quebec

2012 General Election

Pauline Marois speaking to supporters in Quebec City before the 2012 election.

On September 4, 2012, Pauline Marois won the election and was elected in the riding of Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré. She became the first woman to be sworn in as premier of Quebec on September 17. She is the sixth woman to serve as the premier of a Canadian province.

Her party won 54 out of 125 seats in the National Assembly, forming a minority government. As Premier, Marois planned to cancel increases in student tuition fees and electricity rates. She also wanted to stop a $200 medical fee for Quebec residents and increase daycare fees.

Her Time as Premier

As Premier, Marois led a minority government. She quickly formed her cabinet, naming 25 ministers on September 19. Her government immediately worked to fulfill campaign promises. They suspended parts of Bill 78, a law aimed at stopping student protests, cancelled a loan to restart an asbestos mine, and stopped a project to refurbish the Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station.

Marois's government focused on promoting Quebec's unique identity, balancing the budget through higher taxes and debt reduction, increasing the use of French, and developing resources in Northern Quebec. Her government also introduced new rules to make government contracts fairer and to limit political donations.

The budget for 2013–2014 aimed to balance spending by slowing down the growth of public expenses. It included higher taxes on tobacco and alcohol. The budget also changed how electricity rates would increase, allowing them to rise with inflation. The budget passed, even with objections from other parties.

2014 General Election

The next Quebec election was called on March 5, 2014, at Marois's request. She ran as the leader of the Parti Québécois in her riding. Her main opponents were Philippe Couillard of the Quebec Liberal Party and François Legault of the Coalition Avenir Québec.

At the start of the election, polls showed Marois with a lead. However, support for her party dropped after a media executive, Pierre Karl Péladeau, joined the PQ. His past actions and his call for another referendum on Quebec independence seemed to turn off some voters.

After a challenging campaign that focused on the possibility of another independence referendum, Marois's government was defeated in the April 7 election. The Liberals won a majority government, and the PQ had its worst election result since 1970. Pauline Marois also lost her own seat in Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré.

In her speech after the election, Pauline Marois resigned as the leader of the Parti Québécois.

Key Issues

Identity and Language

In 2007, Marois proposed a law called the Quebec Identity Act. This bill suggested that immigrants should learn French to gain certain rights, including a special Quebec citizenship. It also said that Quebec's main values, like equality between sexes and the importance of French, should be part of a future constitution.

This idea received some criticism from different groups. The Quebec Liberal Party said some parts of the bill were divisive. Many people outside Quebec also called the bill racist. While most non-French speakers in Quebec were against it, a small majority of French speakers supported it.

In 2008, Marois suggested changes to Bill 101, the Charter of the French Language. She wanted more French courses in schools, a requirement for new arrivals to learn French, and for French language rules to apply to small businesses.

Quebec Charter of Values Controversy

The proposed Quebec Charter of Values, which would have banned government employees from wearing religious symbols, caused a lot of debate. Many people, including academics and some members of her own party, criticized it. They said it was unfair and would make immigrant groups feel unwelcome. For example, the Montreal Jewish General Hospital said that a third of its staff might have to leave their jobs if they wore religious symbols like kippahs or hijabs. The hospital refused to ask for an exemption, saying the bill was discriminatory.

In 2013, Marois supported the Quebec Soccer Federation's ban on turbans in soccer games. This led to the Quebec Soccer Federation being suspended by the Canadian Soccer Federation. Marois argued that the Canadian federation had no authority over provincial groups. Her stance on this issue also received significant criticism.

International Relations

Pauline Marois also got involved in international affairs during her time as Premier. In 2012, she attended the Francophonie Summit in Kinshasa. She also visited New York City and attended the World Economic Forum in Davos to meet with investors and political leaders from around the world. Her party wanted Quebec to be more involved in international aid.

Personal Life

Pauline Marois is married to Claude Blanchet. They have four children: Catherine, Félix, François-Christophe, and Jean-Sébastien.

Pauline Marois is an atheist.

Honours

In 2019, she received an honorary doctorate degree from the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

See also

In Spanish: Pauline Marois para niños