'Joseph-Adélard Godbout' (
24 September,
1892 –
18 September,
1956) was an agronomist and politician in
Quebec,
Canada. He served as
Premier of Quebec briefly in 1936, and again from 1939 to 1944. He was also leader of the
Parti Libéral du Québec (PLQ).
Biography
Adélard Godbout was born in
Saint-Éloi. He was the son of Eugène Godbout,
agriculturalist and Liberal
Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from
1921 to
1923, and Marie-Louise Duret. He studied at the
Séminaire de Rimouski, the agricultural school of
Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière and the Amherst Agricultural College, in the American state of
Massachusetts. He then became teacher at the Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière agricultural school from
1918 to
1930. He was an agronomist for the Ministry of Agriculture from
1922 to
1925.
Member of the Legislature
Godbout became a
Member of the legislature for the district of
L'Islet in the
Chaudière-Appalaches area, after he won a
by-election without opposition on
May 13,
1929. He was re-elected in
1931 and
1935.
Member of the Cabinet
Godbout was appointed to the Cabinet by
Premier Alexandre Taschereau and served as Minister of
Agriculture from
November 27,
1930 to
June 27,
1936.
Victim of the Scandals of the Taschereau Administration
Shortly after the
1935 election,
Conservative Leader
Maurice Duplessis, a rising star in Quebec politics, forced Taschereau to call the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, which brought to light the existence of widespread corruption in the provincial government. The revelations made by the committee were embarrassing. They tarnished the reputation of all Liberal insiders whether or not they were involved in the scandals.
In
1936, less than a year after being put back in office, Taschereau asked Lieutenant Governor Ésioff-Léon Patenaude to call an election.
With the blessing of federal Cabinet Members, Godbout took over Taschereau’s job Liberal Leader and Premier of Quebec, but his party suffered a humiliating defeat. Led by Duplessis, the
Union Nationale was put in office. The Liberals were reduced to 14 seats. Godbout lost re-election in his own district of
L'Islet. He remained Liberal Leader, but
T.-D. Bouchard led the parliamentary wing of the party until
1939.
Premier of Quebec
World War II created the window of opportunity that Godbout desperately needed to make a political comeback. In
1939 an early election was called and Federal Cabinet Member
Ernest Lapointe, the
Quebec Lieutenant of
Prime Minister Mackenzie King, took the stump for Godbout. He guaranteed that no one would face conscription if voters supported the Liberals. Lapointe would die of cancer in
1941 and the promise would soon haunt Liberal politicians. In the meantime though, Godbout made a spectacular comeback. He and 69 of his candidates were sent to the legislature.
Godbout’s Accomplishments
Under Godbout’s premiership, the provincial government implemented a number of significant
progressive legislations, laying the groundwork for the
Quiet Revolution that would be implemented by the government of Premier
Jean Lesage a couple of decades later. In fact, the Liberal administration delivered many of the proposals made by the
Paul Gouin’s
Action libérale nationale in
1935. These accomplishments include:
#The enactment of the '
right to vote for women' in
1940, despite resistance from Duplessis and the
Catholic Church;
#The establishment of a '
Civil Service Commission' in
1943;
#The passage of an act that enforced '
compulsory school attendance' until the age of 14 and the introduction of '
free education' in primary schools in
1943;
#The adoption of a '
Labor Code' that established principles governing union certification and the negotiation of collective agreements in
1944;
#The nationalization of the
Montreal Light, Heat & Power Company, a private corporation who had a monopoly on gas and electric light in the
Montreal area, which lead to the creation of '
Hydro-Québec' in
1944.
[1]
Relations with the Federal Government
Because he served during wartime and dealt with federal politicians who believe in a strong federal government, Godbout was pressured into abandoning a number of the provincial jurisdictions. The most notable prerogatives that he surrendered to
Ottawa include:
#The opportunity to create and oversight a provincial
unemployment insurance system (a nation-wide program was put into action in
1940);
#The power to tax the income of individuals and corporations for the duration of the war, in exchange for a much more modest financial compensation from the federal government.
Electoral Defeats
In
1942, Canadian voters were asked to release the Government from the commitment made by Lapointe. Even though the majority of predominantly French-speaking Quebec refused, English-speakers throughout Canada accepted. Even though not that many people were forced to serve until the end of the war, the decision made by Mackenzie King to allow conscription was very unpopular in Quebec. Opposition Leader Maurice Duplessis, whose
nationalist views capitalized on the population’s mistrust of its federal government, had a field day.
In
1944, the Liberals received more votes than Duplessis’ Union Nationale. However, the UN enjoyed a level of support in the province’s rural areas that was strong enough to win a majority of seats to the legislature.
Godbout served as
Leader of the Opposition until
1948. Benefiting from post-war prosperity, the Union Nationale won an overwhelming majority. The Liberals won only eight seats, six of whom were located on the Montreal Island. Once again, Godbout narrowly lost re-election in his home district of
L'Islet. In
1950, he relinquished the leadership of the Liberal Party.
Senator
In
1949, Godbout was appointed to the
Canadian Senate on the recommendation of Canadian Prime Minister
Louis St. Laurent. He remained a senator until his death in
1956.
Godbout’s Legacy
Observers are divided about the significance of Godbout’s legacy. Lacking the oratory skills
[2] of Duplessis,
[3] his main political competitor, Godbout is sometimes judged very severely.
In a speech.
stress the importance
progressive precedents that were set under Godbout’s premiership.
[4]
Nationalists on the other hand criticize him for taking a weak stance in the matters of the province’s autonomy.
[5]
More nuanced analysis claim that, being in power during World War II, he served in a very difficult time, despite the shortcomings of his relations with the federal government.
Godbout is also ironically noted for the alleged lack of public knowledge about his work and premiership. In
2000, a documentary addressing this phenomenon was made by his nephew and renowned filmmaker
Jacques Godbout, entitled ''
Traître ou Patriote''.
Elections as party leader
He lost the
1936 election, won the
1939 election, lost the
1944 election and lost the
1948 election.
Footnotes
1. Biographies of Prominent Quebec Historical Figures - Adélard Godbout, Marianopolis College, 2005
2. Maurice Duplessis reprend le pouvoir, Les Archives de Radio-Canada, August 8, 1944
3. Duplessis triomphe devant ses partisans, Les Archives de Radio-Canada, June 20, 1956
4. Réhabilitons Adélard Godbout, Jean-Guy Genest, Cité libre, Winter 2000
5. Pour en finir avec le bon et juste Adélard Godbout, Michel Lévesque, L’Action nationale, December 21, 2006
References
★
Biography of Adélard Godbout from Marianopolis College
★
National Assembly biography (in French)
See also
★
Politics of Quebec
★
Quebec general elections
★
Timeline of Quebec history
External links
★
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