Bernie Boudreau

James Bernard Boudreau PC KC (born July 25, 1944) is a Canadian lawyer and politician.

The Honourable Bernie Boudreau PC KC
Leader of the Government in the Senate
In office October 4, 1999 – January 8, 2001
Prime Minister	Jean Chrétien
Deputy	Dan Hays
Whip	Léonce Mercier
Preceded by	Alasdair Graham
Succeeded by	Sharon Carstairs
Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
In office October 17, 2000 – January 8, 2001
Prime Minister	Jean Chrétien
Minister	Brian Tobin
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Robert Thibault
Minister of Finance of Nova Scotia
In office June 11, 1993 – June 27, 1996
Premier	John Savage
Preceded by	Chuck MacNeil
Succeeded by	Bill Gillis
Parliamentary constituencies Canadian Senator from Nova Scotia In office October 4, 1999 – October 26, 2000 Nominated by Jean Chrétien Appointed by Roméo LeBlanc Preceded by Peggy Butts Succeeded by Gerard Phalen (2001) Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for Cape Breton The Lakes In office September 6, 1988 – September 6, 1997 Preceded by John Newell Succeeded by Helen MacDonald
Personal details
Born	James Bernard Boudreau (1944-07-25) July 25, 1944 (age 80) Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political party	Liberal
Occupation	Politician

Provincial politics

Boudreau was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from Cape Breton The Lakes in the 1988 provincial election.^[1] He was re-elected in 1993,^[2] and was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Finance in the Liberal government of John Savage.^[3][4] From 1996, he served as Minister of Health. When Savage resigned in 1997, Boudreau entered the leadership race to succeed him,^[5] but was defeated by Russell MacLellan,^[6] prompting Boudreau to leave provincial politics.^[7]

Federal politics

In October 1999, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien recommended Boudreau for appointment to the Senate of Canada, and to the Cabinet as Leader of the Government in the Senate, replacing Alasdair Graham who had been Nova Scotia's representative in the government since June 1997.^[8] It was also announced that Boudreau would be a candidate when the next federal election was held in order to help rebuild the federal Liberals in Nova Scotia, after the party lost all eleven seats in the 1997 federal election.^[9]

Prior to the 2000 election, Boudreau was appointed Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.^[10] Boudreau resigned from the Senate in order to run in Dartmouth for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada.^[11][12] After a hotly contested campaign, he was defeated by incumbent New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Wendy Lill.^[13]

v t e 2000 Canadian federal election: Dartmouth—Cole Harbour
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	New Democratic	Wendy Lill	13,585	36.28	+3.71
	Liberal	Bernie Boudreau	12,408	33.14	+5.93
	Progressive Conservative	Tom McInnis	8,085	21.59	-5.32
	Alliance	Jordi Morgan	3,282	8.76	-2.99
	Marxist–Leninist	Charles Spurr	86	0.23
Total valid votes			37,446	100.00
Change for the Canadian Alliance from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.