René Arseneault MP (born July 1, 1966) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election, and was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.[2]
René Arseneault | |
|---|---|
 Arseneault in 2023 | |
| Member of Parliament for Madawaska—Restigouche | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Bernard Valcourt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 1, 1966 |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Michèle Pelletier |
| Residence | Charlo, New Brunswick[1] |
| Profession | Attorney |
Background
editArseneault earned an undergraduate degree in economics and political science, followed by a law degree from the Université de Moncton. He established a law practice with his wife Michèle Pelletier in 1996.[3]
On becoming a lawyer, he succeeded in overturning a requirement to swear an oath to the monarch and became the first lawyer in New Brunswick to join the bar without swearing the oath.[4]
Political career
editArsenault was elected as a Member of Parliament for Madawaska—Restigouche in the 2015 federal election.
Arsenault was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Official Languages) on December 12, 2019.[5]
On August 16, 2024, Arseneault announced that he would not be running in the 2025 election.[6]
Foreign policy
editIn February 2016, Arseneault broke ranks from many of his fellow Liberals when he voted against a Conservative Party motion rejecting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Arseneault addressed his vote by later stating that "he did not have a clear conscience with the motion as proposed," further adding that it would have been different if the motion were one which condemned organizations that promoted antisemitism. He disagreed with the motion's claim that the movement was "demonizing Israel" and rather described the movement as "encouraging boycotts of certain Israeli products made in the occupied territories." Arseneault added that this condemnation, in his opinion, violated Canadian freedom of expression.[7] The motion was also voted against by two other Liberals as well as the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois.[8]
Electoral record
edit| 2021 Canadian federal election: Madawaska—Restigouche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | René Arseneault | 16,854 | 55.22 | +4.94 | $38,339.96 | |||
| Conservative | Shawn Beaulieu | 7,857 | 25.74 | -2.69 | $33,053.20 | |||
| People's | Nancy Mercier | 1,889 | 6.19 | – | $0.00 | |||
| New Democratic | Elizabeth MacDonald | 1,859 | 6.09 | -0.33 | $0.00 | |||
| Free | Louis Berube | 1,277 | 4.18 | – | $0.00 | |||
| Green | Rebecca Blaevoet | 786 | 2.58 | -12.29 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 30,522 | 100.0 | – | $104,119.82 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 30,522 | 60.74 | -8.37 | |||||
| Registered voters | 50,252 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.82 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[9] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election: Madawaska—Restigouche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | René Arseneault | 17,331 | 50.28 | -5.42 | $69,640.81 | |||
| Conservative | Nelson Fox | 9,801 | 28.43 | +11.95 | $41,501.75 | |||
| Green | Louis Bérubé | 5,125 | 14.87 | +12.97 | $11,518.03 | |||
| New Democratic | Chad Betteridge | 2,212 | 6.42 | -19.50 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 34.469 | 98.13 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 657 | 1.87 | +0.95 | |||||
| Turnout | 35,126 | 69.11 | -4.86 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 50,828 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -8.68 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[10][11] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election: Madawaska—Restigouche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | René Arseneault | 20,778 | 55.70 | +20.91 | $66,315.47 | |||
| New Democratic | Rosaire L'Italien | 9,670 | 25.92 | +6.58 | $92,730.82 | |||
| Conservative | Bernard Valcourt | 6,151 | 16.49 | -23.99 | $101,364.85 | |||
| Green | Françoise Aubin | 707 | 1.90 | +0.10 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 37,306 | 99.08 | $199,271.58 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 348 | 0.92 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 37,654 | 74.02 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 50,871 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +22.45 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[12][13] | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ Rene Arseneault wins Liberalsa seat in Madawaska-Restigouche, Global News, October 19, 2015.
- ^ René Arseneault Biography, Liberal.ca.
- ^ Woolf, Marie (2 May 2023). "Time is right to scrap requirement to swear oath to the King, MPs and Senators say". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
Mr. Arseneault successfully challenged a requirement to swear an oath to the Queen when he joined the bar in New Brunswick.
- ^ ROLES - RENÉ ARSENEAULT
- ^ McNally, Trevor (August 16, 2024). "Arseneault: I won't run in next federal election". Telegraph-Journal. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Boisvert, Jean-François. "René Arseneault assume pleinement son vote" (in Canadian French). L'Acadie Nouvelle. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ McLeod, Paul (February 22, 2016). "The Canadian Parliament Overwhelmingly Voted To Condemn Boycotts Of Israel". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "Election night results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Madawaska—Restigouche, 30 September 2015
- ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine