Bernie Boudreau

Hon. Bernard Boudreau

James Bernard "Bernie" Boudreau, PC , QC , BA , LL.B (born July 25 1944) is a Canadian lawyer and politician.

Boudreau was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from Cape Breton, and served as Minister of Finance. From 1996, he served as Minister of Health in the provincial Liberal government of John Savage. When Savage resigned in 1997, Boudreau ran to succeed him but was defeated at the party's leadership convention by Russell MacLellan, prompting Boudreau to leave provincial politics.

The 1997 federal election resulted in the federal Liberal Party of Canada losing all its seats in the province. In 1999, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien recommeded Boudreau for appointment to the Canadian Senate, and to the Canadian Cabinet as Leader of the Government in the Canadian Senate, in order to give the province representation in the government and in order to rebuild the federal party in the province.

Prior to the 2000 election, Boudreau was appointed Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Boudreau resigned from the Senate in order to run in Dartmouth for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a "star candidate". After a hotly contested campaign, he was defeated by incumbent New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Wendy Lill, forcing him out of politics.

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