The former head of the National Union and under Lévesque, Rodrigue Biron, died

Rodrigue Biron, former head of the National Union and Minister of Industry in the cabinet of René Lévesque, died on Tuesday at the age of 90.

This businessman in the Chaudière-Appalaches region has arrived in politics by accident. Encouraged by others, he tried to be elected leader of the National Union, which he managed to do in 1976 against all odds.

In the 1976 provincial elections, his party collected 18 % of the vote and 11 candidates were elected, including Mr. Biron in Lotbinière. He became head of the third opposition.

In 1980, he left the National Union because of the independence referendum to be held that year and then ran into the camp of oui.

He joined the Parti Québécois and after the 1981 elections, he was promoted to Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, which joined his qualifications as businessmen.

Mr. Biron will hold this position until the defeat of the Parti Québécois in 1985.

After this passage in politics, he returned to business. He will later try a return to politics, as head of the Quebec Bloc, but he finished third, behind Yves Duhaime and Gilles Duceppe, who will be elected.

Several politicians reacted Tuesday after the announcement of the death of Rodrigue Biron. I emotionally learn the death of Rodrigue Biron, wrote on X the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé. I had the chance to work in business by his side and I have the memory of a passionate man in Quebec and generous.

The head of the Parti Québécois, Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon, also reacted on X, describing it as a man of great kindness, generous of his time. His political heritage reminds us that people on the right and on the left can come together on the fundamentals of our future in the Grande Coalition that is the Parti Quebecois, added the chief of the Parti Québécois. He reminds us that loyalty to Quebec’s interests must take precedence over the rest.

A neophyte that has made its place

Born on September 8, 1934, Rodrigue Biron began his professional life in the family business, the Sainte-Croix Foundry and he will direct other foundries, in Rivière-du-Loup, Calgary and Oakville.

It was in the early 1970s that he began his political career, by becoming mayor of Sainte-Croix.

Encouraged by relatives, he decides to go to another level, by presenting himself to the leadership of the National Union to try to invigorate the party of Maurice Duplessis. I presented myself as a candidate with almost no program at the timehe confessed to the show Memories of deputies In 2008. I had no roots to the national union, I did not know these people.

Despite its apparent parachuting, the neophyte wins the race.

What does his victory owe? To the Knights of Columbus, he responds without hesitation to the show Head to face broadcast on CPAC in 2007. I knew people everywhere. Everywhere, everywhere.

He was involved in this organization from the age of 18. In December 2023, he also celebrated his 71 years of age at the age of 89.

In 1976, he was elected in Lotbinière under the banner of the National Union, elections which will be won by the Parti Québécois de René Lévesque. Despite the defeat, the former party of Maurice Duplessis still succeeds in obtaining 11 deputies. I was satisfied, we hadn’t had time to organize themselves as it should be […] Must think that the national union had been completely destroyed in the election beforehe confides to the animator Pierre Donais on CPAC.

Passage to Parti Québécois

It is the 1980 referendum that will cause a break with your party, since you have to choose a camp. This former autonomist proposes the party to give freedom of conscience to everyone to choose, but he decides to resign when it is a question of imposing the non.

In principle, he says, he resigns and decides to campaign for the oui As a new independent deputy.

Shortly after the defeat of ouihe says he was approached by Prime Minister Lévesque for him to join the PQ ranks. He made the turn and was re -elected under the banner of this party in 1981.

He will assume the functions of Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism under René Lévesque, then under Pierre-Marc Johnson, where, he recognized, he has pampered Small and medium -sized enterprises.

It is not the big companies that create jobs, these are PME which create jobshe argued in 2008.

In 1985, he carried out by the defeat of the Parti Québécois and lost his seat.

Business and a return to politics

Far from being embittered by his defeat, which he attributes to a Wave against the Parti QuébécoisMr. Biron then returns to the business world, while keeping links with the PQ leaders Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.

In the wake of the 1995 referendum, the former minister tried a return, this time on the federal scene, to lead the Quebec Bloc.

He finished third in the race, behind his former colleague Minister Yves Duhaime and Gilles Duceppe, who becomes a chief.

In an interview with CPAC in 2007, he still believed in the need for sovereignty and in 2014, he recommended to François Legault, then a simple chief of the Coalition Avenir Québec, to recognize the constitutional problem.

The weakness of François’ argument is that he says that it does not exist, this problem. I think it exists. It must be recognizedhe had entrusted to Montreal Journal.