André Pratte

The Honourable
André Pratte
Senator for Quebec
Assumed office
March 18, 2016
Nominated by Justin Trudeau
Appointed by David Johnston
Personal details
Born (1957-05-12) May 12, 1957
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Political party Non-affiliated
Occupation Editor-in-chief
Profession journalist

André Pratte (born May 12, 1957 in Quebec City, Quebec) is a Canadian journalist and politician. A longtime editor-in-chief of the large-circulation Montreal newspaper La Presse, Pratte was appointed to the Senate of Canada in March 2016.[1] He is a notable voice of Canadian federalism in Quebec.

Biography

During the 1980s, Pratte worked at radio station CKAC in Montreal. He moved from radio to the written press in 1986. Succeeding Alain Dubuc, he became editor-in-chief of La Presse in 2001, defending the federalist and fiscally centre-right political stance of the paper. In 2005, Pratte was among the group who signed the manifesto "For a clear-eyed vision of Quebec", better known by the French title "Pour un Québec lucide" and critical of the social democratic 'Quebec Model'. Criticized by some sovereigntists, he has defended his neutrality and has claimed in the book Aux pays des merveilles to be a soft-nationalist and to have a soft-sovereigntist past (with claims of 'Yes' votes in both the 1980 and the 1995 Quebec referendums).[2][3]

He published a number of books at VLB éditeur. The first, Le Syndrome de Pinocchio, discussed a lying "syndrome" in politicians and was the subject of a censure motion from the National Assembly of Quebec in 1997. He also published a biography of the future Premier of Quebec, Jean Charest, under the title L'Énigme Charest in 1997, drawing a paradoxical portrait of the man. He redirected his criticism upon his own journalistic profession in Les Oiseaux de malheur in 2000.[4][5]

Pratte edited Reconquerir le Canada — un nouveau projet pour la nation québécoise (published in English as Reconquering Canada: Quebec Federalists Speak Up for Change), a book of essays by several prominent francophone Quebecers to better promote federalism in the province. The authors stated they want Quebec to have a greater role within the federation. Pratte said the province must be better linked with other provinces and that Quebecers must serve on bodies of the federal government. To make progress, Quebecers must change their view of federalism and Canada, and their perception of being a victim, which does not correspond with experience. The book counts 14 authors from various political affiliations: André Pratte, Daniel Fournier, Jean Leclair, Benoît Pelletier, Marie Bernard-Meunier, Patrice Ryan et Frédéric Bérard, François Pratte, Martin Cauchon, Pierre Gerlier-Forest, Hervé Rivet and Fabrice Rivault, Marc Garneau, Mathieu Laberge.

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "Trudeau to appoint seven new senators". The Globe and Mail, March 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ "André Pratte". extraordinarycanadians.com. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "André Pratte". douglas-mcintyre.com. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "André Pratte". goodreads.com. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "André Pratte". amazon.com. Retrieved 16 November 2013.

External links

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