Robert Toupin

Robert Toupin MP
Member of Parliament for Terrebonne
In office 1984–1988
Preceded by	Joseph-Roland Comtois
Succeeded by	Jean-Marc Robitaille
Personal details
Born	(1949-01-20) January 20, 1949 L'Assomption, Quebec
Political party	Progressive Conservative (1984-1986) Independent (1986, 1987-1988) New Democratic Party (1986-1987)

Robert Toupin (born January 20, 1949 in L'Assomption, Quebec) is a former Canadian Member of Parliament.

Toupin had been a worker for the Quebec Liberal Party when he joined the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada following Brian Mulroney's election as party leader. Toupin was a successful Tory candidate in Terrebonne riding in the 1984 federal election.

He was critical of the new government's policies and soon crossed the floor to sit as an Independent. He had attempted to join the Liberal Party of Canada but the Liberal riding association for the constituency he represented rejected him. He subsequently joined the New Democratic Party, becoming the first NDP Member of Parliament (MP) from a Quebec riding. However, he left the party after ten months to again sit as an Independent, after claiming that communists had infiltrated the party. He was then invited to join the Rhinoceros Party of Canada.

Toupin was defeated as an independent candidate in the 1988 federal election.

Electoral record (incomplete)

1984 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Robert Toupin	43,822	60.30
	Liberal	Joseph-Roland Comtois (incumbent)	19,040	26.20
	New Democratic	Brian Umansky	6,454	8.88
	Parti nationaliste	Jean-A. Bonin	3,060	4.21
	Commonwealth of Canada	Claude Brosseau	292	0.40
Total valid votes			72,668	100.00
Total rejected ballots			1,634
Turnout			74,302	74.93
Electors on the lists			99,162
Source: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Thirty-third General Election, 1984.

External links

• Robert Toupin – Parliament of Canada biography