Daniel Johnson


Johnson, Daniel
Daniel Johnson, lawyer, premier of Québec (b at Ste-Anne-de-Danville, Qué 9 Apr 1915; d at the Manic Dam near Baie-Comeau, Qué 26 Sept 1968). Elected Union Nationale MNA for Bagot in the 1946 by-elections, he did not enter the Cabinet until 1956, when Maurice DUPLESSIS made him minister for hydraulic resources. Chosen party leader in 1961, he worked to reorganize the UNION NATIONALE by giving it a solid program and democratic structures.

In 1965 Johnson published Égalité ou indépendance and had his party adopt the principle - political equality between the 2 founding peoples of Canada - that was his government's touchstone on the subject of constitutional reform. Having won power in 1966, the new premier continued and even accelerated the major reforms of the QUIET REVOLUTION; for example, he created the Université du Québec and Radio-Québec and laid the foundations for the future health-insurance system.

Prime Minister Pierre TRUDEAU strongly disagreed with Johnson's defence of Québec's interests in FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL RELATIONS and his search for a new constitutional arrangement. Johnson was the father of Pierre-Marc JOHNSON, who was leader of the Parti Québécois from 1985 to 1987 and premier of Québec until his party was defeated by the Liberals under Robert BOURASSA in December 1985. He was also the father of Daniel JOHNSON, who was leader of the Québec Liberal Party from 1993 to 1998 and premier of Québec until his party was defeated by the Parti Québécois under Jacques PARIZEAU in September 1994.

Johnson, Daniel
Johnson, Daniel
He became premier of Québec in 1966 and continued the reforms of the Quiet Revolution (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/PA-117516).

Author DANIEL LATOUCHE

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