Gilles Caouette

Gilles Caouette (February 16, 1940 – August 13, 2009) was a Canadian politician and member of Parliament.^[1]

Gilles Caouette
Leader of the Social Credit Party
Acting
In office June 29, 1977 – April 11, 1978
Preceded by	André-Gilles Fortin
Succeeded by	Charles-Arthur Gauthier (acting)
Member of Parliament for Témiscamingue
In office May 24, 1977 – May 22, 1979
Preceded by	Réal Caouette
Succeeded by	Henri Tousignant
Member of Parliament for Charlevoix
In office October 30, 1972 – July 8, 1974
Preceded by	Martial Asselin
Succeeded by	Charles Lapointe
Personal details
Born	(1940-02-16)February 16, 1940 Rouyn, Quebec, Canada (now Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec)
Died	August 13, 2009(2009-08-13) (aged 69)
Political party	Social Credit (1963–1964; 1972–1979) Ralliement créditiste (1965–1972)
Parent	Réal Caouette (father)
Occupation	Administrator, draftsman, research director, technician

Caouette was born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. His father, Réal Caouette, was a prominent Social Credit politician, and leader of the Ralliement créditiste and later the Social Credit Party of Canada.

Gilles followed in his father’s footsteps, and ran unsuccessfully for election to the House of Commons of Canada as a Ralliement créditiste or Social Credit candidate three times (1963, 1964 and 1965). He finally won election from Charlevoix in the 1972 election with a margin of 159 votes.

Gilles was defeated in the 1974 election, and in a 1975 by-election in Hochelaga.

His father died in 1976, resulting in a by-election in the Témiscamingue riding that his father had held since 1962. Gilles won the May 24, 1977 by-election, and returned to the House of Commons. On June 24, 1977, Réal’s successor as Social Credit party leader, André-Gilles Fortin, died at the age of 33. Gilles became acting party leader on June 29. He had intended to run at the party's leadership convention but refused to run and resigned as interim leader when the party's executive council decided to hold the convention earlier rather than later and hold it in Winnipeg, Manitoba instead of Quebec where most party members (and all of its Members of Parliament) lived. He was replaced as interim leader by Charles-Arthur Gauthier.^[2]

Caouette ran in the 1979 election but lost his seat in the House of Commons.

Outside politics he worked as an administrator, draftsman, research director, and as a technician.

Election results

Date of election	Party	Riding	Place	# of votes	% of popular vote
8 April 1963 general election	Social Credit	Laurier	2nd of 4	4,282	23.8%
10 February 1964 by-election	Social Credit	Laurier	2nd of 5	2,232	21.6%
8 November 1965 general election	Ralliement créditiste	Labelle	2nd of 4	3,697	23.7%
30 October 1972 general election	Social Credit	Charlevoix	elected (1st of 3)	10,264	39.3%
8 July 1974 general election	Social Credit	Charlevoix	2nd of 4	8,905	35.7%
14 October 1974 by-election	Social Credit	Hochelaga	3rd of 7	1,729	10.2%
24 May 1977 by-election	Social Credit	Témiscamingue	elected (1st of 5)	9,603	45.7%
22 May 1979 general election	Social Credit	Témiscamingue	2nd of 7	15,295	39.1%

Electoral record

Canadian federal by-election, 14 October 1975: Hochelaga
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Pelletier resigned, 29 August 1975
	Progressive Conservative	Jacques Lavoie	8,236	48.58	+18.19
	Liberal	Pierre Juneau	5,649	33.32	-16.54
	Social Credit	Gilles Caouette	1,729	10.20	-0.46
	New Democratic	Onias Synnott	675	3.98	-2.92
	Independent	Gérard Contant	396	2.34
	Independent	Louise Ouimet	169	1.00
	Independent	Daniel Charlebois	101	0.60
Total valid votes			16,955	100.00

References

Source: History of the Federal Electoral Ridings since 1867

1. Gilles Caouette – Parliament of Canada biography
2. "Gauthier named interim Socred leader as Caouette quits post, Matte leaves party", by Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail, April 12, 1978

Political offices
Preceded by André-Gilles Fortin	National Leaders of Social Credit 1977-1978	Succeeded by Charles-Arthur Gauthier