The Honourable Lucienne Robillard

President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Born in Montreal, Lucienne Robillard obtained her High School education at the École Marie-Médiatrice. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Collège Basile-Moreau (1965), a Master of Arts in Social Work from the Université de Montréal (1967), and a Master of Business Administration (1986), from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montréal.

Lucienne Robillard worked in the field of health and social services from 1967 to 1986. She began her career as a social worker and clinical practitioner at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital and later worked as an administrator at the Centre de services sociaux Richelieu. From 1969 to 1972, she worked as a youth leader in a kibbutz in Israel. In December 1986, she was appointed Public Curator of Quebec, a position Ms. Robillard held until August 1989, when she entered politics. On assuming the position of Public Curator, she immediately undertook to personalize the services of this office and, during her term, conducted a review of the Public Curator Act, modernizing and humanizing this piece of legislation to better meet the needs of clients and their families.

Building on her successful career, Lucienne Robillard was a candidate for the Liberal Party of Quebec in the election of September 25, 1989, and was elected to the Quebec National Assembly as the member for Chambly riding. Ms. Robillard was appointed Minister of Cultural Affairs on October 11, 1989, a post she held until October 5, 1990, when she was appointed Minister of Higher Education and Science. On November 3, 1992, she was also appointed Minister of Education. During her time in this portfolio, she introduced fundamental reforms to education at the college level. On December 2, 1993, with the merger of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Ms. Robillard became Minister of Education and Science. On January 11, 1994, she was appointed Minister of Health and Social Services and held this portfolio until September of the same year.

As a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Ms. Robillard was elected Member of Parliament for Saint-Henri-Westmount on February 13, 1995. On February 22, 1995, she was appointed Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for the federal campaign in the Quebec referendum.

As a result of the ministerial shuffle held on January 25, 1996, Ms. Robillard was appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration by the Prime Minister. She was re-elected on June 2, 1997, in the newly created riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie. She resumed her ministerial duties and launched an extensive Canada-wide consultation on the review of the Immigration Act. In the spring 1999, on behalf of the government and the citizens of Canada, she welcomed the refugees from Kosovo.

On August 3, 1999, Ms. Robillard assumed the responsibilities of President of the Treasury Board. A few months later, she resolved the issue of employment equity for employees of the Public Service of Canada.

The citizens of Westmount-Ville-Marie re-elected her in the general election held on November 27, 2000. The Prime Minister reiterated his confidence in Mrs. Robillard asking her to continue to serve as President of the Treasury Board and entrusted her with the task of modernizing human resources management in the Public Service of Canada. In this regard, she launches an important legislative reform and on November 4, 2003, the Parliament adopts the Public Service Modernization Act.

On December 12, 2003, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, appointed Lucienne Robillard as Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the regions of Quebec.

At the general elections held on June 28, 2004, she is re-elected for a fourth term by the electors of Westmount-Ville-Marie. On July 20, Prime Minister Paul Martin names her President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and from January 17 to May 16, 2005, he also appointed her Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.