Gaétan Cousineau is an administrator and former politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was the mayor of Gatineau from 1983 to 1988 and is now president of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (known in English as the Quebec Human Rights Commission).

Early life and career

Cousineau has a diploma in Civil Law from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Public Administration degree from the École nationale d’administration publique. He ran a private law practice from 1968 to 1992.Gaétan Cousineau , Commission des droits de la personne et des jeunesse, accessed 13 April 2011. He was councillor for Gatineau's sixth ward from 1979 to 1983.Jack Aubry, "Gatineau's mayor seeks second term," Ottawa Citizen, 17 September 1987, B1.

Mayor of Gatineau First term Cousineau was elected as mayor in 1983, in a landslide victory over incumbent John Luck.Jack Aubry, "Gatineau's mayor seeks second term," Ottawa Citizen, 17 September 1987, B1. He was also chosen as chair of the Outaouais Regional Council in 1987, defeating Aylmer mayor Constance Provost in a vote among council members.Jack Aubry, "Gatineau mayor elected as Outaouais Council president," Ottawa Citizen, 10 April 1987, B2. He was succeeded in February 1988 by Pierre Champagne. See "Outaouais elects chairman," Ottawa Citizen, 26 February 1988, C3.

Cousineau released a plan for a new municipal downtown core in 1985, highlights of which included a new city hall, cultural and sports centres, and a new CEGEP community centre.Jane Defalco, "Gatineau unveils design for city core," Ottawa Citizen, 24 October 1985, B3; David Gamble, "Huge downtown scheme gives Gatineau heart," Ottawa Citizen, 25 September 1986, B3; David Gamble, "$24-million Gatineau development unveiled," Ottawa Citizen, 22 January 1987, B1. The city earmarked $6.6 million for a cultural centre two years later."$6.6M cultural centre tops Gatineau capital works plan," Ottawa Citizen, 24 December 1987, B1; Michelle Tessier, "Minister pledges $3.5 million for Gatineau cultural centre," Ottawa Citizen, 6 February 1988, A14.

Also in 1985, Cousineau signed an accord with other Outaouais mayors to give each municipality control over its water system. The agreement followed years of jurisdictional conflict, during which time all municipalities had to have projects approved by the Outaouais Regional Council. Cousineau described the agreement as a compromise, without clear winners or losers."Outaouais municipalities OK water pact," Ottawa Citizen, 17 September 1985, B2; Jack Aubry, "Water pact is mediator's answer to 'mission impossible'," Ottawa Citizen, 24 September 1985, B3. Gatineau ultimately received a water filtration plant during Cousineau's tenure as mayor."Gatineau's trouble washes out mayor," Ottawa Citizen, 22 February 1988, A8.

He also expressed interest in a plan to have Canada's National Capital Region become the country's eleventh province.David Gamble, "Gatineau mayor supports scheme for 11th province," Ottawa Citizen, 22 January 1986, B6. He did not support a proposal to merge Gatineau with Hull and Aylmer, and he criticized Hull mayor Michel Légère's plan for a fourth bridge from Ottawa over the Gatineau River.Jack Aubry, "Hull mayor still pushing three-city merger in West Quebec," Ottawa Citizen, 13 March 1986, B3; David Gamble, "Gatineau mayor pans Legere's bridge plan," Ottawa Citizen, 2 December 1986, C3; David Gamble, "Hull plans bid to take over Gatineau areas," Ottawa Citizen, 16 December 1986, C1.

Cousineau lobbied the government of Quebec for a community college campus during the mid-1980s. The project was approved in 1986.Jack Aubry and Bob Marleau, "Quebec to build $6.7M college in Gatineau," Ottawa Citizen, 25 September 1985, C1; David Gamble, "Gatineau gets community college," Ottawa Citizen, 12 September 1986, C2.

There were rumours that Cousineau would seek the Liberal Party of Canada nomination for Gatineau in the 1988 election, although this came to nothing.Jack Aubry, "Gatineau's mayor seeks second term," Ottawa Citizen, 17 September 1987, B1; David Gamble, "Cousineau 'would think' about seeking federal seat if offered Liberal nomination," Ottawa Citizen, 22 September 1987, D3.

Second term Cousineau was again challenged by John Luck in the 1987 municipal election. The two candidates disagreed on many substantive issues; in particular, Cousineau maintained his opposition to a merger with Hull and Aylmer, while Luck supported the plan.David Gamble, "Gatineau mayoral candidate backs tri-city urban community plan," Ottawa Citizen, 16 October 1987, C3. Luck also favoured allowing Cantley residents to separate from Gatineau; Cousineau opposed this during the campaign, but subsequently changed his position. See David Gamble, "Gatineau mayoral debate focuses on records," Ottawa Citizen, 26 October 1987, B1; Philip Authier, "Gatineau favors Cantley autonomy," Ottawa Citizen, 5 January 1988, B2. Cousineau ultimately won by 179 votes following a recount.

After the election, local activist Sylvain Simard charged that Cousineau should resign as mayor due to being in a conflict-of-interest over property he co-owned near the city's proposed downtown core. Cousineau responded that he was not in a conflict-of-interest and accused Simard of orchestrating a smear campaign.David Gamble, "Gatineau activist tells Cousineau to resign over 'conflict of interest'," Ottawa Citizen, 8 December 1987, C1; Sharon Trottier, "Gatineau mayor says citizen group waging 'smear campaign' with conflict charge," Ottawa Citizen, 18 December 1987, B4. This notwithstanding, he resigned as mayor in February 1988, saying that he had run an honest administration but no longer wanted to be a target for partisan attacks.Philip Authier, "Gatineau mayor resigns," Ottawa Citizen, 18 February 1988, A1; George Kalogerakis, "Mayor of Gatineau calls it quits, says he's tired of 'scapegoat role'," Montreal Gazette, 19 February 1988, A4. He stayed on until Robert Labine was elected in the by-election.

Public administration Cousineau worked for the Commission municipale du Québec from 1992 to 1998, when was appointed by the Canadian government to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in Montreal.Gaétan Cousineau , Commission des droits de la personne et des jeunesse, accessed 13 April 2011. He was not re-appointed in November 2006, amid suggestions that new prime minister Stephen Harper was attempting to pack the board with its ideological allies.Andrew Mayeda, "Critics say PM is staging refugee board power grab," Ottawa Citizen, 28 February 2007, A3.

After leaving the Immigration and Refugee board, Cousineau was appointed to a five-year term as president of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, which began in September 2007.Robert Dutrisac, "Choix contesté à la présidence de la Commission de l'équité salariale", Le Devoir, 27 June 2007, accessed 13 April 2011. The following year, he argued that Quebec's proposed legislation on gender equity should formalize the province's commitment to economic and social rights.Kevin Dougherty, "Spell out rights, Quebec urged; Preamble to charter should mention economic, social rights, too, assembly told," Montreal Gazette, 13 February 2008, A9. He also supported the principle of "reasonable accommodation" for minority ethnic and cultural groups in Quebec."Quebec values vital, minister says; She agrees with call to include them in bill to promote cultural diversity," Montreal Gazette, 9 October 2009, A7.

In March 2010, Cousineau issued a thirty-seven page document attacking the practice of racial profiling in Quebec.Andrew Chung, "From police constable to cop critic; Montreal activist rallied community nicknamed 'the Bronx' after shooting of teenager sparked riots," Toronto Star, 10 December 2009, A14; Marian Scott, "Rights chief attacks racial profiling; Agency releases explosive report," Montreal Gazette, 11 March 2010, A6. He subsequently presided over six days of public hearings on the subject in Montreal and Quebec City, and in August 2010 he accused the Montreal Police of "systematic" racial profiling against black men in the city.Marian Scott, "Racial profiling under microscope; Rights panel holds six days of hearings," Montreal Gazette, 26 May 2010, A2; Peggy Curran, "Blacks more likely to be pulled over by Montreal police; Study shows racial profiling," Windsor Star, 10 August 2010, A9. Cousineau has also accused Quebec medical schools of blocking advancement by qualified applicants trained in other countries.Ingrid Peritz, "Foreign-trained MDs hit wall of bias in Quebec, agency finds," Globe and Mail, 17 November 2010, A10.

Electoral record

Source: "Cousineau wins, Luck continues to contest result" [mayoral recount], Ottawa Citizen, 16 November 1987, C1.

Source: Jack Aubry, "Ex-mayor's 'victory' short-lived," Ottawa Citizen, 2 November 1987, A1.

References