Gaétan Nadeau (born December 12, 1953) is a politician and author in the Canadian province of Quebec. He led the New Democratic Party of Quebec from April to September 1989 and helped bring about its autonomy from the New Democratic Party of Canada.

Early life and political career before 1989

Nadeau was born in Joliette in 1953.Angus: Du grand capital à l'économie sociale: Au sujet de l'auteur, Publications Gouvernementales, accessed 24 March 2011. He was a Parti Québécois (PQ) activist before joining the New Democratic Party and served as an executive assistant to legislator Guy Chevrette."Quebec NDP members divided on forming a provincial party," Globe and Mail, 20 March, A5. He was also a supporter of the municipal Montreal Citizens' Movement (MCM) and served on its economy committee. In 1988, he criticized what he described as the party's pro-corporate direction after its victory in the 1986 Montreal municipal election.Lewis Harris, "MCM dissidents leave their mark; Half a dozen councillors emerge as strongest opposition at city hall," Montreal Gazette, 12 March 1988, B4; "The RACE for Montreal," Montreal Gazette, 2 October 1988, B6.

He ran for the House of Commons of Canada as the New Democratic Party candidate for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve in the 1988 federal election. He criticized the proposed Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement on the grounds that it would hurt manufacturing jobs in his riding. Nadeau was considered one of the party's strongest candidates in Quebec, and some party insiders believed he had a chance for an upset victory.Bertrand Marotte, "Constituents bitter in Montreal riding," Globe and Mail, 14 November 1988, A5. In the event, he finished third against Progressive Conservative candidate Allan Koury.

Shortly before election day, Nadeau and six other NDP candidates with Quebec nationalist views held a press conference to denounce Canada's policies on bilingualism.Peter Kuitenbrouwer, "Quebec NDP splits from federal party," Montreal Gazette, 1 May 1989, A1.

New Democratic Party leader

Nadeau was elected to lead the Quebec New Democratic Party in April 1989, defeating incumbent leader Roland Morin. One of the primary issues of the leadership contest was the Quebec NDP's relationship with the federal party. At the time, the NDP had a single organization in Quebec that encompassed both the federal and provincial parties. Several members of the Quebec NDP opposed this connection and called for the provincial party to become autonomous. The provincial party was more inclined to support Quebec nationalism than the federal party; it supported the province's Charter of the French Language, opposed the Meech Lake Accord, and was sceptical toward the Canadian constitution because it was approved without Quebec's support."Quebec NDP to review links to federal party," Globe and Mail, 29 April 1989, A9. Nadeau favoured the creation of an autonomous provincial party, while Morin initially opposed the idea before declaring his neutrality."Quebec NDP members divided on forming a provincial party," Globe and Mail, 20 March, A5.

Nadeau, who was thirty-five years old at the time, also highlighted the generational divide between himself and the fifty-seven-year-old Morin during the leadership contest. He said, "The leadership choice is clearly between a democratic socialist who has a vision for the '90s and one who is clinging to the outdated notions of the '70s." For his part, Morin described Nadeau as a single-issue candidate focused only on the environment."Quebec NDP to review links to federal party," Globe and Mail, 29 April 1989, A9. Nadeau defeated Morin at a party convention held on April 30, 1989; at the same meeting, the Quebec NDP voted in favour of autonomy from the federal party.Andre Picard, "Quebec NDP opts for autonomy," Globe and Mail, 1 May 1989, A1.

The NDP ran fifty-five candidates in the 1989 election.Andre Picard, "Quebec's political fringe filled with choices," 21 September 1989, A5. Its campaign began in confusion, when the party executive approved an election platform that Nadeau derided as "naive Marxism." He threatened to resign as party leader but refrained from doing so when the party executive withdrew the document. Nadeau later described the original platform as having resulted from the "fertile imagination" of a single party worker who misunderstood the instructions of its policy committee.William Johnson, "Anglo mentality needs changing," Montreal Gazette, 17 August 1989, B3; Lewis Harris, "NDP ready to uncover new platform," Montreal Gazette, 18 August 1989, A4.

Nadeau secured a more prominent place for environmental issues in the party's revised platform. Against his wishes, the document also included an increased focus on Quebec nationalism. Nadeau opposed this approach on strategic grounds (notwithstanding his prior expression of nationalist views), arguing that it would not help the party's efforts to grow its base of support.Graeme Hamilton, "Quebec NDP OK's nationalist stance," Montreal Gazette, 20 August 1989, A6. Some political observers noted that the focus on nationalism prevented the NDP from winning support among anglophone Liberals who were disgruntled with the increasingly nationalist policies of premier Robert Bourassa.Elisabeth Kalbfuss, "NDP bright lights have switched their allegiance," Montreal Gazette, 21 September 1989, A12.

Close to election day, Nadeau acknowledged that his party would not win any seats in the legislature.Elisabeth Kalbfuss, "NDP bright lights have switched their allegiance," Montreal Gazette, 21 September 1989, A12. The NDP received about one per cent of the popular vote, and Nadeau received only 437 votes for a distant fourth-place finish in the Montreal division of Dorion. He resigned as party leader on September 26, 1989, one day after the election, saying that the Quebec NDP would never be able to succeed because of a "hard core of Marxists" hindering its development.Andre Picard, "Marxist members blamed for Quebec NDP's demise," Globe and Mail, 27 September 1989, A5.

Since 1989

Nadeau was a researcher for the municipal Democratic Coalition party in the early 1990s.Elizabeth Thompson, "Homes near Miron quarry exposed to methane gas: Rotrand," Montreal Gazette, 11 September 1991, A3.

Electoral record

Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec .

Sources: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Thirty-fourth General Election, 1988; Report of the Chief Electoral Officer Respecting Election Expenses, 1988.

References