Gérard Deltell (born August 8, 1964) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for
Louis-Saint-Laurent since 2015. A member of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, Deltell was
Opposition House Leader from 2020 to 2022 under
Erin O'Toole
Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Officia ...
and held a number of
opposition critic positions. Prior to entering federal politics, he represented
Chauveau in the
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in french: link=no, Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the legislative body of the province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; french: link=no, dépu ...
from 2008 to 2015 and was the leader of the
Action démocratique du Québec
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
(ADQ) from 2009 until it merged with the
Coalition Avenir Québec
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ; , ) is a Quebec nationalist, autonomist and conservative[Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...](_blank ...<br></span></div> (CAQ) in 2012. He served as the CAQ's house leader until 2014.
<h1><br><p> Early life, education and career</h1></p>
Deltell was born and raised in <div class=)
. He held party membership in the
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC; french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003.
From Canadian Confederation in 1867 until 1942, the ...
in the 1980s.
Deltell's parents are both
Pied-Noirs born in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
at a time when this country was part of France. As his parents are French citizens Deltell also holds French citizenship by virtue of his birth (jus sanguinis).
Deltell is a Spanish name, his father's family was settled in Algeria by 1840 and his maternal family's roots are French and Italian. His parents immigrated to Canada and settled in Montreal in 1958,
but relocated later in the year to
Loretteville
Loretteville is a former city in central Quebec, Canada. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. It is located within the borough of La Haute-Saint-Charles, and also contains the upmarket neighbourhood of Montchâtel. Its populatio ...
, near Quebec City. His father, Guy, served in a
Moroccan regiment
of the
French Army
History
Early history
The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...
of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and was awarded the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...
on October 26, 2011.
Deltell studied
social science
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of s ...
at
Cégep de Sainte-Foy
Cégep de Sainte-Foy is a French-language CEGEP in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the borough of Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge. There are nearly 8,000 students registered at the college, making it one of the largest in the pro ...
, graduating in 1984.
He majored in
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
at
Université Laval
Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montm ...
and graduated in 1989.
He also received training as an announcer at the Collège des annonceurs radio télévision in 1982 and at École de radio et de télévision Promédia in 1993.
He received a pilot's license for
ultralight aircraft in 2005.
Journalism career
Before he entered politics, Deltell worked as a TV correspondent with
TQS. He also worked for the
TVA and
Radio-Canada stations in
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
, as well as the
CIRO-FM radio station as a radio show host. Overall, he worked as a
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
for a total of over 20 years.
Political career
Provincial politics
Deltell ran as the
Action démocratique du Québec
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
candidate in the district of
Chauveau in the
2008 provincial election. He won the seat with 44% of the vote and succeeded
Gilles Taillon
Gilles Taillon (born August 11, 1945) is the former leader of the Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ). A politician, teacher and businessman in Quebec, Canada; he was the ADQ Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) for the district of ...
, who ran and lost in
Chapleau.
On November 19, 2009, Deltell replaced Taillon as leader of the ADQ.
During his tenure as ADQ leader, Deltell was noted as a stabilizing factor inside the party after the 2009 leadership race caused a power vacuum in the party. He improved the fortunes of the ADQ in the polls, bringing them back to 20% in the polls. The ADQ were also polling well in the Quebec City region and other noted Conservative areas.
He ceased being leader of the ADQ upon the dissolution of the party into the new movement established by
François Legault, the
Coalition Avenir Québec
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ; , ) is a Quebec nationalist, autonomist and conservative[2012 Quebec general election
The 2012 Quebec general election took place in the Canadian province of Quebec on September 4, 2012. Lieutenant Governor Pierre Duchesne dissolved the National Assembly on August 1, 2012, following Premier Jean Charest's request. The Parti Québ� ...](_blank ...<br></span></div>. Deltell served as parliamentary leader of the CAQ caucus until the <div class=)
. From 2012 to 2014 he served as house leader for the CAQ.
Federal politics
Following much speculation, Deltell announced on April 7, 2015, that he would be running for the
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Co ...
in the riding of
Louis-Saint-Laurent in the
upcoming federal election. His resignation as MNA for Chauveau took effect the same day. Deltell was elected MP on October 19, 2015. The Conservative Party saw a resurgence in support in the Quebec City region, with Deltell receiving credit for the party's increased support.
Since going to Ottawa, Deltell has been considered a rising star within the Conservative caucus. Opposition leader
Rona Ambrose named Deltell the party's Quebec lieutenant and critic for Employment, Workforce and Labour, and he has been noted for his strong performances during Question Period.
Despite being a newcomer to federal politics, Deltell was mentioned as a possible leadership candidate to replace former leader
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...
. While he brushed aside the idea, Deltell received support from within the Conservative caucus to run, but he announced his support for
Erin O'Toole
Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Officia ...
. ''Globe and Mail'' columnist Jefferey Simpson wrote that "he ticks off a number of Conservative/conservative boxes."
Deltell was a critic of the legalization of
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
and vowed to prevent the legalization from happening.
Cannabis was legalized in 2018.
Deltell was one of three Conservatives named to the membership of the
Special Committee on Electoral Reform.
On October 16, 2016, Deltell was appointed Official Opposition Finance Critic by Rona Ambrose, interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Conservative Leader
Andrew Scheer announced
his shadow cabinet on August 30, 2017 and named Deltell as critic for the Treasury Board. On September 2, 2020, Conservative leader
Erin O'Toole
Erin Michael O'Toole (born January 22, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Durham since 2012. A member of the Conservative Party, O'Toole served as the party's leader and the leader of the Officia ...
announced that Deltell would serve as Opposition House Leader, succeeding
Candice Bergen.
Electoral record
Federal
Provincial
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deltell, Gerard
1964 births
Action démocratique du Québec MNAs
Canadian people of French descent
Canadian television journalists
Coalition Avenir Québec MNAs
French Quebecers
Living people
Politicians from Quebec City
Université Laval alumni
Conservative Party of Canada MPs
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec
21st-century Canadian politicians
Canadian people of Italian descent