Gérard Asselin

Gérard Asselin MP
Member of Parliament for Manicouagan
In office 2004–2011
Preceded by	Ghislain Fournier
Succeeded by	Jonathan Genest-Jourdain
Member of Parliament for Charlevoix
In office 1993 – 2004
Preceded by	Brian Mulroney
Succeeded by	riding abolished
Personal details
Born	April 19, 1950 (1950-04-19) Sainte-Flavie, Quebec
Political party	Bloc Québécois
Spouse(s)	Diane Gaudreault
Residence	Baie-Comeau
Profession	Foreman

Gérard Asselin (born April 19, 1950 in Sainte-Flavie, Quebec) is a Canadian politician.

Asselin is a former Bloc Québécois member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Manicouagan from 2004 to 2011 and Charlevoix from 1993 to 2004. At the end of the 37th Canadian Parliament, Asselin was the Bloc's Forestry critic. He is also a former Natural Resources Critic.

In his first run for federal office, in 1993, Asselin won the riding of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in a landslide, finishing 16,500 votes ahead of his closest opponent. The Tory candidate finished a distant third, and nearly lost his deposit. Asselin was reelected almost as easily in every election until losing to NDP challenger Jonathan Genest-Jourdain in 2011.

Asselin is a former foreman, and was previously a city councillor in Baie-Comeau, Quebec from 1979 to 1993.

Asselin is one of the party's few more socially conservative members. In 2005, Asselin joined five other Bloc Québécois members opposing Bill C-38, which extended marriage rights to same-sex couples in Canada.

Electoral record (partial)

2006 federal election : Manicouagan
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-	Expenditures
	Bloc Québécois	(x)Gérard Asselin	18,601	51.10	-7.41	$57,481
	Conservative	Pierre Paradis	6,910	18.98	+14.06	$10,185
	Liberal	Randy Jones	5,214	14.32	-10.56	$21,522
	New Democratic Party	Pierre Ducasse	4,657	12.79	+2.46	$19,632
	Green	Jacques Gélineau	824	2.26	+0.90	$373
	Independent	Eric Vivier	195	0.54		none listed
Total valid votes			36,401	100.00
Total rejected ballots			388
Turnout			36,789	57.00	+6.14
Electors on the lists			64,537

Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.

2004 federal election : Manicouagan
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-	Expenditures
	Bloc Québécois	(x)Gérard Asselin	19,040	58.51	+0.31	$55,674
	Liberal	Anthony Detroio	8,097	24.88	-5.00	$50,362
	New Democratic Party	Pierre Ducasse	3,361	10.33	+8.68	$22,691
	Conservative	Pierre Paradis	1,601	4.92	-5.35	$4,449
	Green	Les Parsons	444	1.36		$901
Total valid votes			32,543	100.00
Total rejected ballots			589
Turnout			33,132	50.86
Electors on the lists			65,142

Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution. Conservative Party percentages are contrasted with the combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative percentages from 2000. Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.

2000 federal election : Charlevoix
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	+/-	Expenditures
	Bloc Québécois	(x)Gérard Asselin	20,479	61.44		$74,392
	Liberal	Marjolaine Gagnon	9,308	27.93		$36,028
	Canadian Alliance	Pierre Paradis	1,905	5.72		$10,782
	Progressive Conservative	Doris Grondin	1,154	3.46		$91
	New Democratic Party	Joss Duhaime	484	1.45		$180
Total valid votes			33,330	100.00
Total rejected ballots			923
Turnout			34,253	58.32
Electors on the lists			58,737

Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.

External links

• How'd They Vote?: Gérard Asselin's voting history and quotes
• Gérard Asselin - Parliament of Canada biography