CBC - Quebec Votes 2003 - Parties and Leaders

Bernard Landry

Since his acclamation two years ago as leader of the Parti Québécois, Premier Bernard Landry has rarely been far from the front pages of newspapers in his home province and across the country.

It was just days before the PQ's 2001 leadership convention, where he ran unopposed to succeed retiring premier Lucien Bouchard, that Landry referred to the Canadian flag as a "red rag."

Then just recently, at the end of his first term in office, Landry once again made national headlines with comments that critics said demeaned women and poverty-stricken parents.

But within Quebec, the party co-founder has played his political cards carefully.

A committed sovereignist, he has held the party together as factions within it war over when to call the next referendum. Under his leadership, and riding a wave of pre-election spending announcements, the PQ went into the campaign with a lead in the polls.

That was an accomplishment, given the inevitable tarnish that clings to any party after a decade in power -- not to mention the challenge posed by running against parties led by younger leaders. But Landry still appears filled with the passion that gave birth to the PQ in 1968, and shows every sign of readiness for a tough campaign.

Bernard Landry was born in Saint-Jacques-de-Montcalm on March 9, 1937. He studied law at the University of Montreal, then economics and finance at the Institut d'etudes politiques in Paris before being called to the Quebec Bar in 1965.

After helping found the PQ in 1968, Landry was defeated when he ran for the National Assembly under the fledgling party's banner in 1970.

Landry was successful, however, in the 1976 election that swept René Lévesque to power, and served in Lévesque's cabinet as minister of state for economic development.

He had a second successful run in 1981, but sat out the 1985 and 1989 elections as the PQ's fortunes sagged. While the Liberal government of Robert Bourassa was running the province, Landry went into a political exile of sorts, teaching business at the Université du Québec a Montréal.

Landry returned to political life in 1994, winning a seat in the National Assembly and serving as deputy premier under Jacques Parizeau. Landry kept the deputy position after Parizeau, embittered by the failure of the 1995 referendum, handed over the party leadership to Lucien Bouchard. He added the Finance portfolio to his responsibilities in early 1996.

In 1999, Landry's wife, Lorraine, died of cancer. Two years later, as Bouchard abandoned politics, Landry reached the apex of his political career: he ran unopposed for the PQ leadership, and became the next premier of Quebec.

Landry is spending a lot of time defending himself these days. In early March, at the PQ policy meeting in Montreal, Landry was voting on a proposal to recruit more women into politics

Party executive member Jocelyne Gadbois explained to him it was a strategic vote for women's groups.

A Radio-Canada microphone caught their remarks on tape

"Don't talk to me about women's groups," the Premier said. "I'd rather meet with the president of Sun Life."

The insurance company left Quebec after the Parti Quebecois came to power in the 1970s

Then returned in the 90s after Landry met with the chairperson.

Landry's quarrel with women's groups came from a meeting he had last month with them and anti-poverty activists

Afterwards, they quoted him as saying he found it hard to believe children go to school hungry when even birds, with their tiny brains, can feed their young

Landry said his words were taken out of context.

On the weekend before the Quebec election campaign was launched.

"I was talking about people," he explained, "who came into my office and twisted my words. Not about any one else.

Women's groups don't buy it.

For some, Landry's comments bring back memories of the 1980 referendum on independence

The PQ minister for women's affairs Lise Payette, insulted women by comparing them to "Yvette", a girl in a school book who learns to stay at home. The remark hurt the sovereigntists. Landry's comments aren't likely to have the same effect.

This particular comment will not be that damaging," says Antonia Maioni, political scientist at McGill University. "So the story really doesn't have long legs in other words However, it's sort of part of a larger image problem that Landry seems to have."

Two scenes now remain unwritten in the final act of the play that has been Landry's life in politics. First, he must run a winning campaign against Jean Charest's Liberals.

Should that happen, the final scene is likely to be one that the rest of Canada has been bracing for since 1995: another referendum on Quebec sovereignty.