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Mauril Bélanger (born June 15, 1955) is a Canadian Member of Parliament. He is a member of the governing Liberal Party and a member of the Canadian Cabinet.
Bélanger was born in Mattawa, Ontario, a small logging town in Eastern Ontario. He attended the University of Ottawa where he was heavily involved in student politics and stayed in Ottawa working in government and the private sector.
He was first elected to parliament on February 13, 1995 in a by-election after his predecessor, Jean-Robert Gauthier, was appointed to the Senate. Bélanger represents a largely francophone riding of Ottawa-Vanier in eastern Ottawa. It is one of the most solidly Liberal ridings having returned a Liberal since 1935, usually in a landslide. Bélanger has continued this trend won by large margins in the 1997 election and 2000 election.
During the government of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, he was a backbencher. He served as chair of the Official Languages Committee and was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. When Paul Martin became Prime Minister in 2003, Belanger was named Chief Government Whip, and was given the cabinet position of deputy government house leader. In July 2004, he ceased being Chief Whip, but he continued to the Martin cabinet taking on the portfolios of Associate Minister of National Defence, Minister responsible for Official Languages and Minister responsible for Democratic Reform, in addition to his role as deputy house leader.
Bélanger has been a noted advocate for the rights of Franco-Ontarians.
External links
- Official Site (http://maurilbelanger.parl.gc.ca/welcome.asp?lang=en)
| 27th Ministry - Government of Paul Martin | ||
| Cabinet Posts (3) | ||
| Minister of State styled as Minister for Internal Trade (2005-) | ||
| Preceded by: Albina Guarnieri | Associate Minister of National Defence (2004-) | Succeeded by: (incumbent) |
| Minister of State (2003-2004) (NB: no portfolio specified) | ||
| Special Cabinet Responsibilities | ||
| Preceded by: Pierre Pettigrew | Minister responsible for Official Languages (2004-) | Succeeded by: (incumbent) |
| Preceded by: Jacques Saada | Minister responsible for Democratic Reform (2004-2005) | Succeeded by: Belinda Stronach |
| Special Parliamentary Responsibilities | ||
| Preceded by: Paul DeVillers | Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (2003-) | Succeeded by: (incumbent) |
| Preceded by: Jean-Robert Gauthier | Member of Parliament for Ottawa—Vanier 1995- | Succeeded by: Incumbent |