Mini Biography: Gilles Duceppe biography
Member of the Parliament for Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Quebec, assumed office August 13, 1990.
Became leader of the Bloc Quebecois in 1997, but lost role as leader of the opposition to Preston Manning of the Reform Party later in the identical year in the 1997 general election.
additional (en francais) ...Political Career
"Leader of the Opposition" (1997) - Bloc loses official opposition status, held since 1993 election, in 1997 poll."Bloc Quebecois Leader" (1997) - Wins leadership of the Bloc Quebecois right after turmoil following resignation of Lucien Bouchard in 1996 claims leadership of Michel Gauthier."MP" (1990) - Wins by-election in Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Quebec for the Bloc Quebecois. Re-elected in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006
Trivia (with support from Wikipedia):Duceppe worked as a hospital orderly and later a union organizer, he won a by-election in August 1990 as one of the 1st effective members for the new protest party the Bloc Quebecois.At the time, Duceppe ran as an independent since the Bloc had not been registered by Elections Canada as a political party. All of the Bloc's other Members of Parliament had crossed the floor from either the Progressive Conservative Party or the Liberal Party earlier that year. Duceppe's victory in a by-election demonstrated - for the very first time - that the party had electoral support in Quebec and could win elections.
He has 1 book to his credit.Became leader of the Bloc in March 1997 and was briefly leader of the opposition that year.In 2007, he just about resigned as leader to run for the leadership of the Parti Quebecois but changed his mind a few days later.Married to Yolande Brunell two kids Amelie and Alexis.At 61, is oldest main-party leader.
