Life and career Lawrence Cannon

1 life , career

1.1 genealogy
1.2 life
1.3 provincial political career
1.4 private sector work
1.5 constituency building in local politics
1.6 foreign policy initiatives
1.7 present activities

life , career
genealogy

cannon in 2008

cannon son of government lawyer louis cannon , quebec television broadcast pioneer rosemary posie power, , grandson of lucien cannon , charles gavan power. grand-nephew of lawrence arthur dumoulin cannon, long-time liberal politician , supreme court judge. great grandson of sir charles fitzpatrick, defender of louis riel , former senior minister in laurier s cabinet. of irish , french canadian descent.

the extended cannon family has had strong regional , national political influence in canada on century , considered influential 1 of canada s hereditary ruling class families, members having served in positions lawyers, judges, supreme court judges, senators, ministers of defence, solicitors general, , members of parliament. have had large influence in national resource industries, barons in lumber industry particularly, in broadcasting.

the famous member of family cannon s maternal grandfather, charles chubby power, confidante , minister of national defence air governor general john buchan, 1st baron tweedsmuir in cabinet of prime minister mackenzie king.

early life

cannon grew fluently bilingual; father francophone while mother anglophone. educated @ french speaking public junior , high schools.

he graduated in political science université de montréal in 1971; , worked liberal premier robert bourassa correspondence secretary, leaving in 1976 higher academic studies. cannon received mba université laval in 1979. worked in private sector financial analyst société de développement industriel until 1981; , head of les radiateurs roy ltée september 1981, december 1985.

cannon has been long-time member of knights of columbus.

provincial political career

cannon elected in 1985 member of quebec liberal party national assembly of quebec provincial riding of la peltrie; , served parliamentary secretary: notably minister of foreign trade , technological development, , tourism. october 1990 january 1994 minister communications, , implemented 911 emergency system privacy act within quebec. active federal liberals supporting sheila copps (who later became deputy prime minister of canada) in attempt win federal 1990 liberal leadership election won instead jean chrétien.

private sector work

cannon worked in private industry vice-president of unitel; at&t canada corp. during at&t takeover of canadian firm; , in other concerns between 1994 , 2001 in field of information technologies. cannon remarried; , took interest in quebec local politics building new constituency.

constituency building in local politics

cannon elected councillor gatineau city council in 2001, representing hull s val-tétreau district, under mayor yves ducharme. served president of société de transport de l outaouais january 2002 november 2005, while @ same time appointed president of association du transport urbain du québec. had especial sympathy solving transport problems in gatineau road building rather public transit approaches. during mandate, sto developed brt (bus rapid transit) project called rapibus , has since been completed. association , ownership of groupe cannon , associates, consulting company in telecommunications, has received little attention, , ownership expected put in blind trust usual in federal politics.

foreign policy initiatives

cannon travelled extensively in europe , americas both in , out of public life. in 2001, cannon appointed board of world commerce institute, , president , general manager of americontact quebec city summit of americas in quebec city.

present activities

lawrence cannon @ june 2008 announcement on border safety.

although cannon , family have historically supported federal liberals, switched conservative party of canada in 2000s. @ time, switch conservative party raised eyebrows among political class , media, attributed move inability make impression liberal party. on september 16, 2005, named deputy chief of staff , deputy executive director of conservative party. named quebec lieutenant party leader stephen harper.

he ran conservative candidate in riding of pontiac in 2006 federal election, beating incumbent liberal m.p. david smith. winning 33.68% of vote, cannon gained support traditional liberal voters. liberals had held riding , predecessors 9 years since 1935, , conservative candidate had finished distant third in 2004 22.15% of vote.

on february 6, 2006, sworn in minister of transport, infrastructure , communities. portfolio includes transport canada, infrastructure canada, canadian transportation agency, transportation appeal tribunal of canada , 16 crown corporations.

many pundits had predicted cannon named deputy prime minister of canada, harper chose not retain office. however, cannon first on list of ministers designated fill in harper if unable perform duties, making him deputy prime minister in practice if not in name. further emphasized when cannon seconded pro forma bill start first session of 39th canadian parliament; bill introduced before house takes speech throne under consideration maintain right of house consider matters other directed crown. bill proposed prime minister , seconded either deputy prime minister or government house leader.

following 2008 federal election, cannon appointed minister of foreign affairs.

cannon 1 of higher-ranking red tories in harper cabinet.

he has denied diplomat richard colvin s claim afghan prisoners transferred canadian forces afghan police tortured.

cannon defeated in 2011 election ndp challenger mathieu ravignat, winning 29.5 percent of vote. place minister of foreign affairs taken john baird.

on may 10, 2012, prime minister stephen harper appointed cannon ambassador france.