View source for Jean-Paul Poulin

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
'''Jean-Paul Poulin''' was a politician in the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Quebec]]. He was active in the [[Canadian social credit movement]] and led the [[Parti crédit social uni]] (PSCU; English: United Social Credit Party) through four general elections at the provincial level.

==Private career==

A travelling salesman for many years, Poulin worked as a night watchman in [[Montreal]] at the end of the 1970s.<ref>"Party leader seeks election in Quebec vote," ''Globe and Mail'', 20 October 1979, 2.</ref> In a 1981 interview, he recalled how he convinced farmers to paint their barns with the slogan, "Social Credit is Coming", during the 1960s.<ref>Hubert Bauch, "Chasing votes on the political fringe," ''Montreal Gazette'', 28 March 1981, p. 25.</ref>

==Politician==
===Early political activities===

Poulin first ran for the [[Social Credit Party of Canada]] in the [[1962 Canadian federal election|1962 federal election]]. This party split into two factions the following year, when [[Réal Caouette]] formed a separate group called the [[Ralliement créditiste|Ralliement des créditistes]]. Poulin ran for Caouette's party in the [[1968 Canadian federal election|1968 federal election]] and also ran for the [[Ralliement national]], a provincial social credit party not endorsed by Caouette, in the [[1966 Quebec general election|1966 provincial election]].

In 1969, the Ralliement des créditistes entered provincial politics by running candidates in four Quebec [[by-election]]s. At around the same time, Poulin established a dissident party called the Parti crédit social uni. Then fifty-one years old, he said that he and his allies did not support the way Caouette was running the party. He also indicated that he supported a "strong Quebec in a united Canada".<ref>Ronald Lebel, "Creditistes' entry into politics likely to be swamped by UN win," ''Globe and Mail'', 25 September 1969, p. 10.</ref>

Poulin ran against the official [[Ralliement créditiste du Québec]] candidate in [[Saint-Jacques (provincial electoral district)|Saint-Jacques]] in a 1969 by-election.<ref>''Montreal Gazette'', 8 October 1969, p. 52.</ref> He also ran against an official Créditiste candidate in a 1971 by-election. He was defeated both times, as were all others who ran for his party.

The PSCU seems to have disappeared after this time, and Poulin and his supporters seem to have joined the re-united Social Credit Party of Canada under Caouette's leadership in 1971 or thereafter. Poulin ran for the re-united party in the [[1974 Canadian federal election|1974 federal election]].

===Return of the PSCU===

The provincial Ralliement créditiste du Québec, which was aligned with the federal party, ceased operations in 1978. The PSCU was subsequently re-established, and Poulin again became the party's leader.<ref>"Party leader seeks election in Quebec vote," ''Globe and Mail'', 20 October 1979, 2.</ref> He stood in three general elections and four by-elections over the next decade, never bringing his party above fringe status.

During the [[1981 Quebec general election|1981 provincial election]], the ''Montreal Gazette'' described PCSU as a "hard core" Créditiste group and identified Poulin as a follower of Major [[C.H. Douglas]]'s economic theories. When interviewed by the paper, Poulin held up a copy of his party's manifesto and said, "This was written in 1966 and I haven't had to change a word."<ref>Hubert Bauch, "Chasing votes on the political fringe," ''Montreal Gazette'', 28 March 1981, p. 25.</ref>

Poulin was asked for his opinion on [[abortion]] during the [[1989 Quebec general election|1989 provincial election]]. Perhaps unusually, in light of the Social Credit Party's general [[social conservatism]], he declined to give an opinion and said that the issue should be decided by women alone.<ref>David Johnston, "On the fringe of Canadian politics, truth is stranger than fiction," ''Montreal Gazette'', 18 September 1989, p. 6.</ref> In the same election, Poulin said that social credit monetarist policies could not be implemented in Canada at the provincial level; he promised to instead target unemployment if elected.<ref>Michèle Ouimet, "Revoici le crédit social," ''La Presse'', 24 August 1989, B3.</ref> He was seventy-two years old at the time.<ref>David Johnston, "On the finge of Canadian politics, truth is stranger than fiction," ''Montreal Gazette'', 18 September 1989, p. 6.</ref>

The party was deregistered in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quebecpolitique.com/partis/cs.html |title= Ralliement créditiste |accessdate=2010-12-31 | work = QuébecPolitique.com |language = French}}</ref>

==Electoral record==
;Provincial
{{1989 Quebec general election/Rosemont}}
{{1985 Quebec general election/Rosemont}}
{{1985 Quebec provincial by-elections/L'Assomption}}
{{1983 Quebec provincial by-elections/Saint-Jacques}}
{{1981 Quebec general election/Shefford}}
{{1980 Quebec provincial by-elections/Mégantic-Compton}}
{{1979 Quebec provincial by-elections/Prévost}}
{{1971 Quebec provincial by-elections/Chambly}}
{{1969 Quebec provincial by-elections/Saint-Jacques}}
{{1966 Quebec general election/Saint-Jacques}}

There was also a Jean-Paul Poulin who ran as a Liberal candidate in [[Labelle (provincial electoral district)|Labelle]] in the [[1962 Quebec general election|1962 provincial election]], but it is not clear if this was the same person.

;Federal
{{1974 Canadian federal election/Saint-Henri}}
{{1968 Canadian federal election/Beauharnois}}
{{1962 Canadian federal election/Saint-Jacques}}

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poulin, Jean-Paul}}
[[Category:Candidates in Quebec provincial elections]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ralliement créditiste du Québec politicians]]
[[Category:Parti crédit social uni politicians]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]