Return To Liberals
He never really gave up his political ambitions and his personal loyalty to Paul Martin was well known in Quebec. He returned to politics soon after being promised a senior cabinet post by Paul Martin who became Liberal leader in December 2003.
Lapierre differed from the other Quebec lieutenants before him, most of whom were cautious, soft-spoken, and ever mindful of the impact of their Quebec actions on the rest of Canada. Lapierre by contrast had what a commentator described as a "rough and tumble, shoot from the lip style of politics", being known for his flamboyance, aggressiveness, his toughness, his rudeness and arrogance.
Some questioned the need for a Quebec lieutenant as Martin himself was bilingual, and polls showed fading support for the Bloc Québécois and Parti Québécois (who had just lost the 2003 provincial election). Others believed that Martin placed high importance on the province for the upcoming election, hoping to fare significantly better than Chrétien had. Some speculated that Martin had anticipated another Quebec referendum (and remembering the near separatist win in the 1995 referendum), with Lapierre's understanding of Quebec nationalism and the Bloc being crucial to winning over the nationalist vote.
Read more about this topic: Jean Lapierre
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