Former MP and minister Monique Vézina has died

The former MP for Rimouski-Témiscouata and former minister in Brian Mulroney’s government, Monique Vézina, died last night at the age of 89. The one who also made herself known as head of the National Commission on the Future of Quebec left her mark on an entire region through her commitment to improving the living conditions of women and seniors.

Monique Vézina was born on July 13, 1935 in Rimouski.

Very soon after giving birth to her four children, she got involved in family-oriented organizations in Bas-Saint-Laurent. In the 1950s, she participated, among other things, in setting up prenatal classes, promoting breastfeeding and creating home daycare services.

She then devoted herself to the field of education by becoming president of a school committee, then member of the educational committee of the school board in her sector. Later, she will also serve on the Higher Council of Education.

The biggest barrier to overcome was to recognize a woman’s ability to think accurately and with common sense. […] I had to prove that a woman could have responsibility outside the home.

When I gave birth for the first time, I challenged traditional medicine which required anesthesia. Then, I ran into childcare problems. Later, when my children were of school age, I learned about new teaching methods. […] I told myself that if I had problems as a woman, others must have them too.she explains to the magazine Women of action in 1992.

In 1975, she became a member of the board of directors of the Regional Union of Caisses Populaires of the Diocese of Rimouski, which became the Fédération des Caisses Populaires Desjardins du Bas-Saint-Laurent. In November 1976, she became the first woman in the history of the Desjardins Movement to become president of a federation.

A busy political life

It was on September 4, 1984 that Monique Vézina became a member of Parliament for the riding of Rimouski-Témiscouata under the banner of the Progressive Conservative Party.

She will wear different hats within Brian Mulroney’s cabinet. Upon her election, she became Minister of External Relations and International Development, and responsible for the Francophonie, at a time when linguistic tensions were great in the country.

Moreover, during his inaugural convention in Sept-Îles a month earlier in August 1984, Brian Mulroney had promised Quebec voters that, under his government, Quebec would ratify the 1982 Canadian Constitution. He will make the same promise again in front of his supporters in Rimouski.

In 1986, Monique Vézina became Minister of Supply and Services, a chair she only held for a few months before being named Minister of State for Transport. Here again, her stint was short-lived, as she became Minister of State for Employment and Immigration until 1988.

I think the Prime Minister understood that I was the kind of woman who could find political and human solutions to these kinds of situations, so I take it as a big mark of confidence.

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Her time in the House of Commons was, however, noted, when she was named Commander of the Order of the Pléiade in 1986.

She was re-elected in the 1988 elections by a majority of 13,000 votes. It was then that she became Minister of State for the Third Age.

In an ideal society, there would no longer be disparities due to age, gender or skin color. People aged 30 and 70, men and women, would work side by side, to the extent of their talents.

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She returned to her seat as Minister of External Relations and responsible for La Francophonie during a final cabinet reshuffle by Brian Mulroney in 1993, the year in which she announced her withdrawal from political life.

Nine years of political life is almost fifteen years of regular life. I retire saying to myself: “mission accomplished”she then explains.

Life after politics

Her political experience will lead her to the presidency of the National Commission on the Future of Quebec, which allows citizens to express themselves on the draft bill on Quebec sovereignty. She is also chair of the seniors subcommittee.

I cannot accept the status quo. It is unacceptable. And I cannot accept either, as a Quebecer, to sit idly by.

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In her report tabled on April 19, 1995 in the National Assembly, she recommended maintaining the economic association between Quebec and Canada, and the creation of a new political union when Quebec is sovereign.

She quickly became involved in the Quebec sovereignist movement and became president of the Mouvement national des Québécois in 1996.

The same year, she was named a member of the Order of Cooperative Merit, and the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal awarded her the Grand Patriote prize.

In 2007, she became an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. In 2010, she received the National Assembly Medal for her contribution to society, alongside two former deputies from the region: Suzanne Tremblay and Solange Charest.

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At the turn of the 2010s, she was often asked to be honorary president of various events, including the fundraising campaign for community radio station CKMN in 2015.

She is also called upon to comment on the decisions of her former party. She also reiterates her disagreement with the tangent that the Conservative Party is taking.

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A family involved in politics

Monique Vézina is not the only one to get involved in politics under her roof.

Her husband, Jean-Yves Parent, was a municipal councilor for 7 years in the 1970s.

The youngest of their four children is also following in his parents’ footsteps. After serving as bodyguard for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Marc Parent became mayor of Rimouski in 2017, the year Monique Vézina and Jean-Yves Parent celebrated their 60th birthday.^e wedding anniversary.