1. Philippe Couillard was the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018.
28 Facts About Philippe Couillard
1. 2.
Philippe Couillard resigned as Liberal leader and MNA on October 4,2018.
3.
Philippe Couillard was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Canadian-born Joseph Alfred Jean Pierre Philippe Couillard de Lespinay and French-born Helene Yvonne Parde.
4.
Philippe Couillard holds a medical degree and a certification in neurosurgery from the Universite de Montreal.
5.
Philippe Couillard was the head of the department of neurosurgery at Hopital Saint-Luc from 1989 to 1992 and again at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke from 1996 to 2003.
6.
In 2003, Philippe Couillard left the medical profession to run for the Montreal-area seat of Mont-Royal in the National Assembly, representing the Quebec Liberal Party.
7.
Philippe Couillard was elected in the 2003 election and was appointed Minister of Health and Social Services on April 29,2003.
8.
In 2007, Philippe Couillard ran in the riding of Jean-Talon in the Quebec City area, replacing Margaret Delisle who did not seek re-election for health reasons.
9.
Philippe Couillard won his seat in the 2007 election despite the Action democratique du Quebec's strong performance in the region in which the party gained the majority of the seats.
10.
Philippe Couillard was reappointed as minister of health and social services, as well as minister responsible for the provincial Capitale-Nationale region.
11.
On June 25,2008, Philippe Couillard announced his resignation as minister and MNA.
12.
Philippe Couillard was succeeded as minister and Jean-Talon MNA by locally-known Alma doctor Yves Bolduc.
13.
On June 23,2010, Philippe Couillard was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee and consequently became a member of the Privy Council.
14.
On October 3,2012, Philippe Couillard became the third person to enter the leadership election to succeed Jean Charest as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
15.
On March 17,2013, Philippe Couillard became the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, beating ex-cabinet ministers Raymond Bachand and Pierre Moreau.
16.
Philippe Couillard opted to run in the riding of Roberval, where he now lives, handing Outremont to star candidate Helene David.
17.
Philippe Couillard stated that his campaign would focus on "healthcare, education and jobs".
18.
Philippe Couillard accused premier Pauline Marois of mismanaging Quebec's economy and clarified his opposition to the Quebec Charter of Values, describing it as "an unnecessary bill that succeeds only in dividing Quebecers".
19.
On election night, Philippe Couillard stressed the importance of creating a better business climate in Quebec and doing away with some of the divisive policies that had characterized Marois' tenure as premier.
20.
Philippe Couillard pledged to work cooperatively with other provinces and the federal government and to reassert Quebec's place as a leader in the Canadian federation.
21.
Philippe Couillard's government ran four consecutive balanced budgets during his tenure as premier.
22.
Philippe Couillard's government removed protection of several preserved areas while authorizing logging in caribou land.
23.
In 2014, Philippe Couillard announced his opposition to the development of shale gas, citing a report that raised environmental concerns.
24.
In October 2017, Philippe Couillard's government passed Bill 62, a Quebec ban on face covering.
25.
Philippe Couillard's government was ousted after only one term by the Coalition Avenir Quebec in the October 2018 provincial election.
26.
Philippe Couillard resigned as party leader and MNA on October 4,2018.
27.
In September 2022, Philippe Couillard was reported to be involved with the Canadian activities of a UK-based company Britishvolt, lobbying to build a gigafactory in Canada.
28.
However, by the end of November 2022, the company was reported to have abandoned its ambitions to build a factory in Canada; Philippe Couillard reportedly ceased working for Britishvolt in October 2022.