Jean-Luc Pépin

Jean-Luc Pepin, PC CC (November 1, 1924 – September 5, 1995) was a Canadian academic, politician and Cabinet minister.

The Right Honourable

Jean-Luc Pepin

PC CC
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Drummond—Arthabaska
In office
1963–1968
Preceded byDavid Ouellet
Succeeded byRiding abolished
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Drummond
In office
1968–1972
Preceded byRiding created
Succeeded byJean-Marie Boisvert
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Ottawa—Carleton
In office
1979–1984
Preceded byJean Pigott
Succeeded byBarry Turner
Personal details
Born(1924-11-01)November 1, 1924
Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
DiedSeptember 5, 1995(1995-09-05) (aged 70)
Ottawa, Ontario
Political partyLiberal
CabinetMinister for External Relations (1983–1984)
Minister responsible for La Francophonie (1983–1984)
Minister of State (External Relations) (1983)
Minister of Transport (1980–1983)
Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce (1969–1972)
Minister of Industry (1968–1969)
Minister of Trade and Commerce (1968–1969)
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources (1968)
Minister of Labour (1968)
Minister of Trade and Commerce, Acting (1968)
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources (1966–1968)
Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys (1965–1966)
Minister Without Portfolio (1965)
PortfolioParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Commerce (1963–1965)

Political biography

Pepin was a political science professor at the University of Ottawa when he was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1963 election as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) from Quebec.

From 1965 to 1972, he served in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau in various capacities, including Minister of Mines and Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce overseeing the decision to have Canada adopt the metric system.

He lost his seat in the 1972 election, and retired from public life until 1975 when Trudeau appointed him to chair the Anti-Inflation Board.

In 1977, he and former Premier of Ontario John Robarts were appointed to head the "Task Force on Canadian Unity". This task force was created by the federal government as a response to the election of the Parti Québécois, which seeks political independence for Quebec in the 1976 provincial election.

The task force issued a report in 1979 that recommended entrenching language rights in the Canadian Constitution, and for the reduction of federal powers in all areas but economic management. The Task Force also recommended the replacement of the Senate of Canada with a "Council of the Federation" whose members would be appointed by provincial governments, and to grant the provinces a say in appointments to the Supreme Court of Canada. Most of these recommendations were rejected by the Government of Canada, and did not make their way into the new Constitution that was enacted in 1982.

After a seven-year absence, Pepin returned to the House of Commons in the 1979 election. When the Liberals returned to power after the 1980 election, he became Minister of Transport until 12 August 1983. In that position he was responsible for

  • the drastic 1981 passenger rail service cuts (from which Canadian passenger rail never recovered);
  • abolition of the Crowsnest Pass rates;[1]
  • the National Ports Policy, enunciated in the Harbour Commissions Act.[2]

Later, he became a Minister of State to the Department of External Affairs and Minister responsible for La Francophonie.

Later life

Following heart surgery, he retired from politics in 1984, and returned to academia as a fellow at the University of Ottawa's Institute on Public Policy.

In 1977, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He was bestowed the title, The Right Honourable in 1992.

Bibliography
  • Pepin, Jean-Luc, 1924-. National ports policy = Politique portuaire nationale / Jean-Luc Pepin. -- [Ottawa] : Minister of Transport = Ministre des transports, 1981.
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References
  1. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca: "Jean-Luc Pepin"
  2. Harbour Commissions Act R.S.C., 1985, c. H-1
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