(Ottawa) Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien believes that Jean Lapointe made a big impression on Quebec, not only because of his impressive artistic career, but also thanks to the support he gave to people who suffer from drug addiction. ‘alcohol.
It is for all these reasons that he decided to appoint him to the Senate in June 2001.
“He’s a person I knew when I was young. I think it’s one of the first shows I went to see when we went to clubs to listen to singers. I followed his career in the entertainment world. He was dedicated to helping people with addiction issues. I admired him a lot, ”said the former prime minister over the phone.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVES
John Christian
Mr. Chrétien said he had a few conversations with Mr. Lapointe about his addiction issues. “He told me that he found it very difficult,” he said.
He pointed out that Jean Lapointe’s performance in the television series about former Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis was absolutely masterful. “He had the same tone of voice! You might have thought it was Duplessis himself on the small screen. He was a very good actor. He had a good sense of humor. He was able to make us laugh and cry too,” he recalled.
Mr. Chrétien explained that he wanted to give artists a voice in the Senate by appointing Mr. Lapointe, among other personalities from the cultural world. “I did what no other prime minister has done in the past. The first senator I named was Jean-Louis Roux. He was a great theater man. Then, I named Viola Léger, the one who embodied La Sagouine. And I named Jean Lapointe. It was unusual. These were not people who were often invited to become senators. »
“Jean Lapointe had the courage of his opinions. In the artistic world, being a federalist was not a very good entry card. He paid a price for it. And he wasn’t the only one, by the way,” Mr. Chrétien also said.