Sam Hamad

Sam Hamad (born June 17, 1958) is a Canadian politician. He is the former member of National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Louis-Hebert in the Quebec City region. Member of the Quebec Liberal Party, he has held various cabinet posts during his 14 years in the National Assembly. He was the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister for Transports and he was also the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region.

Sam Hamad
Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Louis-Hébert
In office May 1, 2003 – April 27, 2017
Preceded by	Paul Bégin
Succeeded by	Geneviève Guilbault
Quebec Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity
In office February 27, 2015 – January 28, 2016
Premier	Philippe Couillard
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	François Blais
Quebec Minister of Labour
In office April 23, 2014 – February 27, 2015
Premier	Philippe Couillard
Preceded by	Agnès Maltais
Succeeded by	Position abolished
In office September 9, 2009 – August 10, 2010
Premier	Jean Charest
Preceded by	David Whissell
Succeeded by	Lise Thériault
Quebec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade
In office September 7, 2011 – September 19, 2012
Premier	Jean Charest
Preceded by	Clément Gignac
Succeeded by	Nicolas Marceau
Quebec Minister of Transport
In office August 11, 2010 – September 6, 2011
Premier	Jean Charest
Preceded by	Julie Boulet
Succeeded by	Pierre Moreau
Quebec Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity
In office April 18, 2007 – August 10, 2010
Premier	Jean Charest
Preceded by	Michelle Courchesne
Succeeded by	Julie Boulet
Quebec Minister of Natural Resources
In office April 29, 2003 – February 18, 2005
Premier	Jean Charest
Preceded by	François Gendron
Succeeded by	Pierre Corbeil
Personal details
Born	Sammy Hamed-Allah (1958-06-17) June 17, 1958 Damascus, Syria
Political party	Quebec Liberal Party
Cabinet	Chair of the Conseil du trésor

Biography

Early years and education

Born in Damascus, Syria, Hamad moved to Quebec City and studied civil engineering at Université Laval where he received both a bachelor's and master's degree. He also studied at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières where he obtained a master's degree in management. His birth name was Samer Hamed-Allah but he changed it when he moved to Quebec, saying that Samer sounded too much like the French words "sa mère" (meaning "his mother").

Career

He was an administration member for the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec for nine years, while he was also a lecturer at Université Laval and the Université du Québec à Rimouski and the President of the Quebec Board of Trade and Industry.

He was also involved in the community, being the vice-president of Centraide-Quebec a board member of the Laval Hospital Foundation. He was also part of several associations promoting development in the region including the GATIQ which promoted advance technologies and innovations for the region.

Before making his foray into politics, Hamad was Vice-President of Groupe Roche, an influential engineering firm, from 1998 to 2003.

Politics

Hamed entered politics in 2003, where he became the MNA for Louis-Hebert as the Liberals led by Jean Charest defeated the Parti Québécois. He would be named Minister of Wildlife, Natural Resources and Parks and the Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale (Quebec) region. He was removed from Cabinet in 2005 after he was criticized in regard to a project which would have added a new thermo plant in the Suroit region.

Hamad was narrowly re-elected in 2007. Initially, it was thought that the Action démocratique du Québec won the seat but late ballots pushed Hamad to a late-victory and no recounts were made. As he was only one of two Liberal MNAs elected in the Quebec City region (the other being Philippe Couillard), Hamad was named the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity until where he was named Minister of Transports, swapping portfolios with Julie Boulet. Briefly in 2010, he also held the Labour portfolio after David Whissell resigned his position following conflict of interest allegations.

He returned to the Labour portfolio on April 23, 2014.

He announced his resignation as an MNA on April 27, 2017.

External links

• "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.