Representative Mario Beaulieu Contact information

Mario A. Beaulieu, MP is a Canadian politician known for his advocacy of nationalism in Quebec. Born on February 1, 1959, in Sherbrooke, he developed a strong attachment to his French-Canadian heritage from an early age. At the age of four, his family relocated to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, where he would spend his formative years.

Beaulieu’s political career began to take shape when he assumed the role of president for the Parti Québécois’s riding association in Montreal Centre from 1997 to 2002. In 1997, he ran as a candidate for the Bloc Québécois in the federal election but was defeated by Pierre Pettigrew, a prominent federal cabinet minister, in the Papineau—Saint-Denis riding. Throughout his career, Beaulieu has been a staunch advocate for reinforcing measures that promote the predominance of the French language in Quebec and has consistently championed the cause of Quebec independence.

In April 2014, Beaulieu declared his candidacy for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois. He garnered support from influential figures such as Bernard Landry and Pierre Curzi, former Parti Québécois legislative members, as well as Claude Béland, the former president of the Mouvement Desjardins. Known for his unwavering stance on sovereignty, Beaulieu emphasized his commitment to achieving Quebec independence above all else. On June 14, 2014, he secured victory in the Bloc leadership race, defeating incumbent MP André Bellavance with 53.5% of the vote. Beaulieu assumed the role of Bloc leader on June 25, 2014.

Following his election as leader, Beaulieu faced internal criticism within the party. His acceptance speech, which alluded to the Front de libération du Québec, as well as his remarks seemingly critical of past party leaders, drew rebuke from former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe. Consequently, two party members announced their intention to leave, and several riding executive members resigned in protest. House Leader Jean-François Fortin, one of the party’s MPs, left the party on August 12, 2014, citing Beaulieu’s uncompromising agenda. Subsequently, André Bellavance, who had vied for the leadership, also resigned on August 25, 2014, reducing the Bloc to two MPs.

Recognizing the party’s precarious position in the lead-up to the 2015 federal election, Beaulieu engaged in discussions with former leader Gilles Duceppe to salvage the Bloc’s prospects. On June 10, 2015, they jointly announced that Duceppe would return to lead the party, while Beaulieu would step down as leader but retain his position as party president. The party executive approved the division of roles on June 9, 2015, and the decision was ratified by the general council on July 1.

In the 2015 election, Beaulieu secured a victory in the riding of La Pointe-de-l’Île, becoming the sole Bloc MP elected on the island of Montreal. Although the party regained ten seats, it fell short of achieving official party status.

Beaulieu remained steadfast in his commitment to the Bloc Québécois and was one of three MPs who supported Martine Ouellet’s leadership during a caucus revolt in 2018. Despite subsequent disagreements with Ouellet’s leadership, he remained in the party and campaigned for her removal during an upcoming leadership review. Following Ouellet’s resignation due to the loss of a party referendum on her leadership, Beaulieu

assumed the role of interim leader.

On August 22, 2018, Beaulieu handed over the party presidency to Yves Perron as part of a reconciliation agreement within the party. However, he continued to serve as interim leader until a leadership election was held in 2019. Ultimately, on January 17, 2019, he passed on the mantle of party leader to Yves-François Blanchet, marking the end of his tenure as leader of the Bloc Québécois.