How long was jean charest premier of quebec

Opinion polls don't favour the Liberals. Map of election results. May Charest announces a special emergency law aimed at quelling student protests. Bill 78 would suspend the semester for many CEGEP college and university students and set restrictions on street demonstrations. Passage of the bill creates further outrage and is criticized for suppressing freedom of expression. Anger grows over the next few months and student strikes become pervasive, leading to clashes with riot police, mass arrests and several injuries.

March 26, Trumpeting a platform that promises tax relief, the Liberals return to power and form a minority government. Charest introduces Quebec's first gender-balanced cabinet, with nine male and nine female members. Education funding was increased and the high-school drop-out rate was reduced. The Charest government has also been a world leader on the environment and climate change. I consulted and, finally, I made the decision not to be a candidate," he said in French.

During the federal election, the Liberals managed to weaponize Scheer's past opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion and the fact that he had never marched in a Pride parade — raising doubts in the minds of some Canadians about his commitment to LGBTQ rights.

Many Conservatives argued that the next leader would have to deliver a more moderate message on social issues for the party to be competitive in the next federal election. Charest said he weighed the impact of a leadership run on his family and his already busy work schedule. He also said that the rules governing the contest played a part in his decision. Basically, the rules were not written for an outside candidate.

The deadlines are very tight, it does not give much time to recruit new members and to set up a national organization," he said in French. Charest was first elected to the House of Commons in and, at age 28, became Canada's youngest cabinet minister as Minister of State for Youth. In , he was named Minister of the Environment and, a year later, he led Canada's delegation at the Earth Summit on the economy and the environment in Rio.

At the summit he was praised for his leadership role among G7 countries on climate change and biodiversity. In , Mr.