Jean-Guy Dagenais


Jean-Guy Dagenais is a Canadian politician from Quebec. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on January 17, 2012, by Stephen Harper after losing in the 2011 Canadian federal election running as a Conservative Candidate in Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot. He represents the Senate division of Victoria.

Political career

Dagenais ran for a seat to the House of Commons of Canada under the Conservative banner in the 2011 Canadian federal election in Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot. He was defeated finishing third place out of five candidates behind winner Marie-Claude Morin and defeated incumbent Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper advised Governor General David Johnston to appoint Dagenais to the Senate of Canada on January 6, 2012, and he was subsequently appointed on January 17. On November 18, 2019, Dagenais announced that he was quitting the Conservative's Senate caucus to join the Canadian Senators Group due to disagreements with the leadership of Andrew Scheer, concerns over the former's social views and the "low importance" attached to Quebec voters by party leadership as the reasons for his defection. However, he is keeping his individual membership to the Conservative Party itself.

Senate scandal

In response to ongoing criticism of the Senate stemming from the Mike Duffy scandal, Dagenais railed against NDP MP Charmaine Borg, in a letter to the House of Commons accusing her of being a whiny, useless puppet who would not have won election if not for sympathy for Jack Layton, and of ignorance of the constitution for her support of the NDP position on abolishing the Senate. Dagenais was unapologetic for his insults and for his incorrect claim that Borg was wrong to note that the NDP supports abolition, both despite the fact that he himself was appointed to Senate after losing an election, and was the one who was wrong about NDP policy. In response, Borg launched an official complaint against the Senator.

Electoral record