Laurent Louis "Larry" Desjardins was a politician in Manitoba, Canada.
32 Facts About Laurent Desjardins
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Laurent Desjardins served as a member of the Manitoba legislature for most of the period from 1959 to 1988, and was a cabinet minister under New Democratic Premiers Edward Schreyer and Howard Pawley.
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Laurent Desjardins was general manager of the St Boniface Jr.
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Laurent Desjardins was inducted into Manitoba's sports hall of fame in 1990.
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Laurent Desjardins served in the Canadian navy during World War II.
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Laurent Desjardins worked as a funeral director, and was the President and Managing Director of Chapels, Ltd.
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Laurent Desjardins joined the Knights of Columbus and the Canadian Council of Christian and Jews during the early years of his career.
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In 1961, Laurent Desjardins emerged as one of the leading parliamentary supporters of government funding for private and denominational schools.
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The impasse was ended when Laurent Desjardins announced that he would offer parliamentary support to the NDP, and change his party affiliation to Liberal-Democrat.
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Laurent Desjardins had previously been known as an opponent of socialism, and the Franco-Manitoban community had not traditionally been supportive of the New Democratic Party before this time.
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Nevertheless, Laurent Desjardins formed an alliance with Schreyer, on the understanding that he would be able to continue to work in favour of denominational school funding on the government side.
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About 1000 people showed up at the Louis Riel School gymnasium for the vote of confidence, and Laurent Desjardins received a standing ovation when he arrived in the hall.
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Laurent Desjardins became Schreyer's legislative assistant in 1969, and formally joined the New Democratic Party in 1971.
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On December 1,1971, Laurent Desjardins was appointed Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
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In December 1974, Laurent Desjardins defeated Marion in a by-election by over 600 votes.
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Laurent Desjardins had resigned from cabinet on January 28,1974, during the ongoing controversy concerning the St Boniface results, but that December 23, he was re-admitted to cabinet as Minister of Health and Social Development.
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Laurent Desjardins was easily re-elected in the 1977 election, although Schreyer's New Democrats were defeated provincially by the Progressive Conservatives under Sterling Lyon.
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Laurent Desjardins sat as a member of the opposition for the next four years.
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The New Democrats returned to power in the 1981 provincial election under the leadership of Howard Pawley, and Laurent Desjardins was personally re-elected without difficulty.
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Laurent Desjardins was re-appointed to cabinet on November 30,1981, serving as Minister of Health and Minister of Recreation and Sport, with responsibility for the Lotteries and Gaming Control Act.
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Laurent Desjardins was re-designated as Minister of Health with responsibility for Minister responsible for Sport, the Fitness and Amateur Sport Act, and the Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act and the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation Act.
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On January 30,1985, Laurent Desjardins was shifted to the Ministry of Urban Affairs.
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Laurent Desjardins was again re-elected without difficulty in the 1986 provincial election, and on April 17,1986, he was reappointed Minister of Health and Sport.
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Laurent Desjardins resigned from his cabinet positions on February 10,1988, after a Supreme Court ruling that provinces could not restrict a woman's right to abortion, and announced that he would be leaving the legislature to take a job in the private sector.
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Laurent Desjardins's seat was not formally declared vacant, but he stopped attending sessions of the legislature after this period.
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Laurent Desjardins then served as head of the Manitoba Health Organization until 1990.
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Ironically, just as Laurent Desjardins had helped bring the NDP into government in 1969, his decision to leave the legislature in 1988 played a major role in the party's unexpected fall from power.
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Laurent Desjardins was regarded as cautious and pragmatic, and was often more supportive of small-business interests than others in the New Democratic Party.
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Laurent Desjardins was a member of the federal Liberal Party for most, if not all of time in the provincial NDP.
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Laurent Desjardins openly supported former Liberal MLA Lloyd Axworthy's successful bid to enter the House of Commons of Canada in 1979.
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Laurent Desjardins served as first president of the Western Canada Lottery Foundation.
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Laurent Desjardins died at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg following a fall; he was 88 years old.