André Vallerand

André Vallerand (born June 9, 1940) is a Canadian administrator, entrepreneur, and former politician. Vallerand served in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1985 to 1994 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson.[1]

André Vallerand

Early life and career

Vallerand was born in Quebec City. He holds a bachelor's degree (1967) and a master's degree (1970) in economic sciences from Concordia University and lectured in economics at several Quebec universities from 1970 to 1981. He was an economic consultant at A. Vallerand et Associés Inc. from 1971 to 1977 and subsequently worked for the group SNC from 1977 to 1979. Between 1979 and 1985, he was president of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce and executive vice-president and director-general of the Montreal District Chamber of Commerce.[1] In the latter capacity, he supported Montreal's candidacy to host the United Nations's international centre for genetics and biotechnology and lobbied for improvements to the city's telecommunications sector.[2]

Vallerand offered qualified support for the Quebec government's white paper on taxation in January 1985, describing it as a "step in the right direction" but calling for further structural changes in favour of the corporate sector. He supported the government's proposal to eliminate family allowances.[3] Later in the year, he announced the Chamber of Commerce's support for a large-scale hydro-electricity scheme proposed by Robert Bourassa, then the leader of Quebec's opposition Liberal Party.[4]

Legislator

Vallerand was a star candidate for the Quebec Liberal Party in the 1985 Quebec provincial election and was narrowly elected in the northern Montreal division of Crémazie over incumbent Parti Québécois cabinet minister Guy Tardif.[5] The Liberal Party won a majority government in this election, and Vallerand was appointed to Bourassa's cabinet on December 12, 1985, as minister responsible for small and medium-sized businesses.[6]

Minister responsible for small business

Shortly after his appointment, Vallerand said that his priorities would include simplifying government regulations, ensuring easier access for Quebec businesses to capital markets, and increasing aid for export ventures.[7] In February 1986, he estimated that small businesses were creating two-thirds of new jobs in Quebec City and Montreal, and called for an "enterprise zone" to be created in Montreal's east end to compensate for job losses in the industrial sector.[8] The following month, Premier Bourassa appointed Vallerand and fellow minister Daniel Johnson to draft a plan for an industrial zone in the region.[9]

Vallerand organized a conference in Quebec City in March 1987 that was designed to improve ties between the government and Quebec's small businesses.[10] Later in the year, he announced that Quebec would work toward streamlining some aspects of its existing business regulations.[11] Generally, he argued for changes in Quebec's labour laws to reflect a more pro-business position.[12]

Minister responsible for international affairs

Following a cabinet shuffle on June 23, 1988, Vallerand was appointed as minister responsible for international affairs. This was a junior portfolio; Vallerand worked under Paul Gobeil, Quebec's minister of international relations.[13]

He did not serve in this position for very long. In December 1988, several anglophone members of Bourassa's cabinet resigned to protest the government's handling of Quebec's language laws. Vallerand was promoted to a full cabinet portfolio to fill one of the resulting vacancies, becoming minister of supply and services on December 21, 1988.[14]

Minister of Supply and Services

Vallerand held the supply and services portfolio for just under one year. In August 1989, he announced that Laval, Quebec's second-largest city, would finally receive its own courthouse by May 1991.[15] He later indicated that Montreal's Velodrome would be closed due to a poor economic performance and replaced by a natural museum.[16] Shortly before the 1989 provincial election, he announced a three million dollar initiative for a new Sûreté du Québec building on Montreal's South Shore.[17]

Vallerand was re-elected in the 1989 election. On October 11, 1989, he was reassigned as Quebec's minister of tourism.[1]

Minister of Tourism

Vallerand served as tourism minister during the economic downturn of the early 1990s, a time when tourism revenues were further weakened by a strong Canadian dollar and strong promotional efforts from Quebec's regional competitors. He secured one of the few funding increases in Quebec's 1990 austerity budget, increasing the province's funds for tourism advertising from fourteen to twenty million dollars. In the same period, he worked with other provincial ministers to request that the Canadian government exempt tourism packages from Canada's new Goods and Services Tax (GST), a tax that Vallerand opposed in principle.[18] In September 1990, he announced that Quebec would issue a GST rebate on lodging for tourists travelling from outside the province.[19] Vallerand and federal minister Benoît Bouchard agreed on a one hundred million dollar plan to boost the tourism sector in January 1992, though revenues remained low throughout the year.[20]

In late 1990, Vallerand was the Quebec cabinet's primary representative in discussions to keep the financially struggling Montreal Expos baseball team in the city. He initially said that he would prefer the private sector to invest in the team without direct government support, though he added that he would not rule out the latter possibility.[21] Ultimately, Quebec provided an eighteen million dollar low-interest loan to prevent the Expos from moving.[22]

Vallerand ordered the indefinite closure of Olympic Stadium in September 1991, after the collapse of a concrete beam in one of the building's public spaces (the building was almost empty at the time, and no one was injured).[23] He allowed the building to re-open in December, after the government had spent twenty-five million dollars on repairs and compensation for cancelled events.[24]

Vallerand was a vocal proponent of public casinos during his tenure as tourism minister, and in April 1992 he helped convince a divided cabinet to approve the Casino de Montréal and another casino project at the Manoir Richelieu in Pointe-au-Pic.[25]

Vallerand supported an initiative to re-launch a train line between Hull and Wakefield in January 1990.[26] The line was officially re-launched in November of the same year.[27]

Minister of Revenue

Vallerand supported Daniel Johnson's successful bid to succeed Robert Bourassa as premier in 1993.[28] When Johnson became premier on January 12, 1994, he appointed Vallerand as minister of revenue.

Vallerand worked with the government of Canada to reduce tobacco taxes in early 1994, in a bid to target Quebec's contraband cigarette trade.[29] He also sought to reform Revenu Québec's tax collection practices, which many critics had described as abusive.[30]

In mid-1994, Vallerand imposed sanctions against service stations in the Mohawk communities of Kahnawake and Kanesatake and required that they pay almost four million dollars in back taxes. The communities refused to pay the taxes, and a standoff ensued.[31] In June 1994, a Quebec Superior Court justice ordered the government to lift the sanctions, but also ruled that the communities were required to collect sales tax from non-native customers.[32] Some commentators criticized Vallerand's actions, accusing the Johnson government of exploiting ethnic divisions to increase their popular support.[33] Vallerand rejected this accusation, saying that he was simply trying to prevent unfair competition and recover lost revenues.[34]

He was not a candidate in the 1994 general election, which the Liberals lost, and formally resigned from cabinet with the rest of the Johnson ministry on September 26, 1994.

Canadian politics

Unlike some of his cabinet colleagues, Vallerand supported the Liberal Party of Canada at the federal level in the 1980s. In the 1988 Canadian federal election, he endorsed Liberal Party incumbent Marcel Prud'homme's bid for re-election.[35] During the constitutional debates of the early 1990s, he supported greater autonomy for Quebec within Canadian federalism.[36]

Since 1994

In late 1994, Vallerand became president of the EDI World Institute, which specialized in electronic data interchange.[37] In 1997, he was commissioned by the government of Canada to lead a task force studying taxation policy for online businesses. Vallerand's report recommended that Canada provide a clear regulatory framework and not impose additional taxes on electronic commerce.[38]

Vallerand later served as president of the Canadian Institute of Tourism and Electronic Commerce (CITEC), though he was ousted from this position after a fractious board meeting in January 2000. Shortly thereafter, Vallerand contacted the Prime Minister's Office to report allegations that some federal funds granted to CITEC via Human Resources Development Canada had been misappropriated by two other board members; he went public with the controversy later in the same month, saying that it had not been properly addressed by the government. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien rejected this accusation, responding that his office had informed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) "within minutes" of receiving Vallerand's information.[39] In July 2000, following an RCMP investigation, the two board members named by Vallerand were formally charged with theft and fraud.[40]

Vallerand was appointed as chairman of the board for Advantage Link Inc., a publicly traded computer services company, in August 2001.[41] He was later appointed as chairman of the Destination Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization and as president of the World Centre of Excellence for Destinations.[42] In 2011, he was appointed as special advisor on destination management to Taleb Rifai, the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.[43]

Electoral record
1989 Quebec general election: Crémazie
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalAndré Vallerand15,10050.20+1.31
Parti QuébécoisLise Dagenais12,73642.34-2.74
GreenHélène Deschênes1,3854.60–
New DemocraticJean Denis4961.65-0.72
Commonwealth of CanadaChristiane Deland-Gervais1430.48+0.24
WorkersClaudya Kutowsky1150.38–
Marxist–LeninistChristine Dandenault1030.34–
Total valid votes 30,07897.69–
Total rejected ballots 7102.31–
Turnout 30,78879.13-0.90
Eligible voters 38,910––
Liberal hold Swing +2.04
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
1985 Quebec general election: Crémazie
Party Candidate Votes%
LiberalAndré Vallerand16,11549.89
Parti QuébécoisGuy Tardif14,56045.08
New DemocraticPierre Leduc7652.37
Parti indépendantisteLouise Crépel2760.85
Progressive ConservativeLaurence Lemyre2330.72
IndependentCarole Caron2110.65
Commonwealth of CanadaChristiane Deland780.24
Christian SocialistYvan Lauzon620.19
Total valid votes 32,300
Rejected and declined votes 596
Turnout 32,896 80.03
Electors on the lists 41,105

References
  1. "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
  2. Wendie Kerr, "Ottawa backs Montreal bid," Globe and Mail, 7 October 1982, B3; Carole Treiser, "Chambre studies telecommunications centre for Montreal," Montreal Gazette, 10 June 1985, A12.
  3. Fran Halter and Jan Ravensbergen, "Tax plan doesn't go far enough experts say," Montreal Gazette, 11 January 1985.
  4. "Chambre de commerce backing Bourassa's power-sale scheme," Montreal Gazette, 22 May 1985, A5.
  5. Eloise Morin, "Tearful supporters greet loser Tardif," Montreal Gazette, 3 December 1985, C5.
  6. "Bourassa gets down to business with new team," Montreal Gazette, 13 December 1985, A4. Vallerand was the first person to hold this position.
  7. Benoit Aubin, "Ministers get down to business by seeking new staff for offices," Montreal Gazette, 17 December 1985, A6.
  8. David Wimhurst, "Montreal's industries: Where did we go wrong?; Experts say roots of our economic woes go deep," Montreal Gazette, 15 February 1986, B4; David Wimhurst, "Special enterprise zone would create regulatory 'oasis' in city's east end," Montreal Gazette, 17 February 1986, B7. The idea of an enterprise zone was strongly supported by city councillor Robert Perrault.
  9. "East end to have special industry zone," Montreal Gazette, 11 March 1986, A5.
  10. "Small businesses get chance to voice concerns," Montreal Gazette, 20 May 1987, H3.
  11. "Quebec scheme to help businesses cut red tape," Montreal Gazette, 27 October 1987, C1.
  12. Gregor Murray, "Liberals still silent on labor code reform," Montreal Gazette, 25 March 1986, B3.
  13. Sarah Scott, "Marx dumped as justice minister in 10-member cabinet shuffle," Montreal Gazette, 24 June 1988, A1.
  14. "Bourassa quickly fills cabinet gaps," Vancouver Sun, 21 December 1988, A7; Sarah Scott, "Bourassa patches cabinet; Link to commune costs Dutil his family portfolio," Montreal Gazette, 22 December 1988, A3.
  15. "Laval to get courthouse," 1 August 1989, A3.
  16. Sarah Scott, "Velodrome to become 'living science museum'," Montreal Gazette, 18 August 1989, A1.
  17. "SQ's $3-million South Shore post gets green light," Montreal Gazette, 7 September 1989, p. I1.
  18. Robert Winters, "Targeting the tourists; Quebec spends more to attract visitors and stem the growing tourism deficit," Montreal Gazette, 12 May 1990, G1; Elisabeth Kalbfuss, "Seguin is expected to call it quits today," Montreal Gazette, 12 September 1990, A7. See also Francois Shalom, "Weak economy expected to boost Quebec tourism," Montreal Gazette, 29 June 1990, D7, which notes the ironic effect of a weak economy boosting domestic tourism by Quebec residents.
  19. Philip Authier, "Tourists will get refund on GST minister says," Montreal Gazette, 13 September 1990, A5.
  20. "Quebec tourism gets $100M boost," Ottawa Citizen, 31 January 1992, A8; "Tourism outlook bleak; Travel budgets will remain tight until recovery takes hold, board says," Montreal Gazette, 29 January 1993, D3.
  21. Ann Gibbon, "Quebec holds firm on Expos Sale preferred to private sector," Globe and Mail, 16 August 1990, C14.
  22. Elisabeth Kalbfuss and Jeff Blair, "[The Quebec government has approved an $18-million,...]," Montreal Gazette, 9 November 1990, p. 1; "Province agrees to throw $18-million into Expo pot," Globe and Mail, 10 November 1990, A16.
  23. James Mennie, Mary Lamey, and Philip Authier, "Stadium to stay shut indefinitely; Quebec orders series of safety measures," Montreal Gazette, 21 September 1991, A1.
  24. Irwin Block, "Big Owe will cost $25 million more: Vallerand; Officials say roof, beams must be fixed to protect $2-billion investment," Montreal Gazette, 12 November 1991, A3; Philip Authier, "Cabinet gives Big O green light to reopen; Stadium roof poses no danger this winter, engineering consultants say," Montreal Gazette, 28 November 1991, A3.
  25. "Around the Nation," Ottawa Citizen, 21 May 1991, A12; Andre Picard, "Report says plan for casinos approved by Quebec cabinet No alcohol would be allowed, Radio-Canada indicates," Montreal Gazette, 18 April 1992, A5; Elizabeth Thompson and Philip Authier, "City okays deal to open casino on Ile Notre Dame; Quebec to announce plan for another in Charlevoix," Montreal Gazette, 15 December 1992, A1; Philip Authier and Elizabeth Thompson, "It's Quebec's turn to roll the dice; Casino operator wants mostly bilingual staff," Montreal Gazette, 16 December 1992, A1; Lynn Moore, "Manoir Richelieu gets go-ahead for casino," Montreal Gazette, 17 December 1993, A6.
  26. "Train funding decision likely within month," Ottawa Citizen, 26 January 1990, B8; Francine Dube, "Wakefield steam train should know fate soon," Ottawa Citizen, B5.
  27. "Funding approved for Wakefield train," Ottawa Citizen, 8 November 1990, B1.
  28. Philip Authier, "Likely leadership candidates begin fighting over campaign; Bacon says she won't enter Liberal race," Montreal Gazette, 30 September 1993, A7.
  29. Philip Authier, "Quebec City MNAs upset over exclusion from Johnson cabinet," Montreal Gazette, 13 January 1994, A5; Andy Riga and Mike King, "Minister says all smuggling will end -even of chickens; Province may disband its unarmed tobacco police," Montreal Gazette, 11 February 1994, A8.
  30. Tu Thanh Ha, "Premier wants Revenue Quebec to clean up act; Task force to find ways to change practices and `remove irritants' for taxpayers," Montreal Gazette, 20 January 1994, A5.
  31. Elizabeth Thompson and Alexander Norris, "Quebec wants reserve Peacekeepers to help keep gas out of Kahnawake," Montreal Gazette, 12 May 1994, A6.
  32. "Court orders Quebec to fuel Mohawk stations," Ottawa Citizen, 18 June 1994, H3.
  33. See for instance Don Macpherson, "How the media have inflamed anti-Indian fervor," Montreal Gazette, 12 March 1994, B5.
  34. Elizabeth Thompson and Alexander Norris, "Quebec wants reserve Peacekeepers to help keep gas out of Kahnawake," Montreal Gazette, 12 May 1994, A6; Andy Riga and Philip Authier, "Quebec getting tough with Mohawks to win votes: Norton," Montreal Gazette, 1 June 1994, A3.
  35. Robert McKenzie, "Bourassa-Mulroney compact is alive and well," Montreal Gazette, 10 July 1988, B1.
  36. Peggy Curran and Philip Authier, "Cool reception for PM's pitch; Consider cost of splitting up, Mulroney urges Quebec," Montreal Gazette, 14 February 1991, A1; Robert McKenzie, "Quebec ministers hopeful of deal," Toronto Star, 6 August 1992, A11.
  37. "EDI World Institute," Globe and Mail, 29 November 1994, A8.
  38. Shawn McCarthy, "Report charts Internet tax path," Globe and Mail, 1 May 1998, B21.
  39. Daniel Leblanc, "More grants probed in Chrétien's riding," Globe and Mail, 28 February 2000, A1; Juliet O'Neill, "PMO didn't hide from funds probe: Chretien," Ottawa Citizen, 29 February 2000, A7.
  40. Kevin Dougherty, "CITEC directors charged," Montreal Gazette, 26 July 2000, A1. This controversy received additional attention in the Canadian media because CITEC's headquarters were located in Chrétien's riding.
  41. "Vallerand named: Former Quebec cabinet minister new chairman of Advantage Link," Montreal Gazette, 24 August 2001, C8.
  42. "Invitation - A New International Organization is Founded in Montreal - Launch of the World Center of Excellence on Tourist Destinations (CED)," Canada NewsWire, 15 February 2007, p. 1; "World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) gives World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED) mandate to develop the first system for measuring the excellence of tourist destinations," 27 June 2007, p. 1.
  43. APPOINTMENT OF ANDRÉ VALLERAND AS SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (UNWTO) ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT Archived 2012-07-30 at Archive.today, World Center of Excellence on Tourist Destinations, 10 March 2011, accessed 21 May 2012.
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