Claude DeBellefeuille

Claude DeBellefeuille MP
File:Claude DeBellefeuille Automne 2019 (cropped).jpg
Member of Parliament for Salaberry—Suroît
Incumbent
Assumed office October 21, 2019
Preceded by	Anne Minh-Thu Quach
Member of Parliament for Beauharnois—Salaberry
In office January 23, 2006 – May 2, 2011
Preceded by	Alain Boire
Succeeded by	Anne Minh-Thu Quach
Personal details
Born	(1963-12-13) December 13, 1963 Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada
Political party	Bloc Québécois
Residence	Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
Profession	Social worker

Claude DeBellefeuille MP (born December 13, 1963) is a Canadian politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Salaberry—Suroît in Quebec since 2019. A member of the Bloc Québécois (BQ), she previously served as the MP for Beauharnois—Salaberry from 2006 to 2011.

Born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, DeBellefeuille was a social worker before becoming a politician. She was first elected in the 2006 federal election in the riding of Beauharnois—Salaberry. She defeated Alain Boire in the nomination race in the riding and went on to win the general election. DeBellefeuille was reelected in 2008 with a slightly higher margin than the previous election.

Between June 2010 and May 2011, she replaced Michel Guimond as the chief Bloc Québécois Whip, previously serving as Deputy Whip. In the 2011 federal election, DeBellefeuille was a casualty of the Orange Wave, losing her seat to Anne Minh-Thu Quach of the New Democratic Party (NDP). In 2015, she ran in Salaberry—Suroît and was again defeated by Quach. In the 2019 federal election, DeBellefeuille was able to retake the seat, receiving nearly 30,000 votes.

Racial Discrimination in Parliament

Claude DeBellefeuille was instrumental in having the first ever ethnically diverse leader, Jagmeet Singh, (who is a Sikh person of Indian descent, specifically from the state of Punjab) of a major federal political party being asked to leave the Chamber after refusing to apologize for calling another MP “racist” amid ongoing worldwide protests against systemic racism.

Jagmeet Singh attempted to seek the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion recognizing that there is systemic racism within the RCMP, and calling on the government to take specific steps to address it. Bloc Quebecois MP Alain Therrien was the sole member of parliament who was denying consent on an otherwise unanimous vote.

As is standard practice, House Speaker Anthony Rota asked the House for consent to hear the terms of the motion, and while most MPs concurred, Therrien said no, which, under Commons rules, was enough to prevent Singh from presenting it to the House.

References

• Claude DeBellefeuille – Parliament of Canada biography