Source : Montreal Gazette

Well-respected former Quebec cabinet minister gained reputation in Ottawa for voting his conscience

Voters in the West Island riding of Lac St. Louis will soon be looking for another MP, after Clifford Lincoln said yesterday he will not run in the coming federal election.

Lincoln, a former Quebec cabinet minister who has gained a reputation in Ottawa for voting his conscience, said he has come to the conclusion that the time has come to pass the torch to a younger generation.

"There is a time to move on and let renewal take place," said Lincoln, 75.

While Lincoln was one of the few Quebec Liberal MPs to support former Heritage Minister Sheila Copps in her leadership bid, Lincoln said there was no pressure exerted on him to step down.

In fact, pressuring him would probably have had the opposite effect, he said.

"There was none of that stuff because, if there had been, I can tell you, knowing my type of personality the way I do, it would have been almost a challenge for me to run."

Lincoln said he plans to spend more time with members of his family, who are spread out around the world.

In 1981, Lincoln traded his career as an insurance executive for a seat in the National Assembly, representing the riding of Nelligan. Appointed environment minister in 1985, Lincoln stood out for his handling of the fire in a PCB storage depot in St. Basile le Grand.

In 1989, Lincoln resigned his job in cabinet over his own government's decision to invoke the notwithstanding clause to limit English on commercial signs.

In 1993, Lincoln returned to politics, this time at the federal level as member of Parliament for Lac St. Louis, and was appointed parliamentary secretary to Environment Minister Sheila Copps.

Recently, Lincoln has been active as chairperson of Parliament's committee on Canadian heritage, which spent considerable time studying our broadcasting industry. He said he would like to continue working with the committee as well as with a group of parliamentarians from circumpolar countries.

Nick Discepola, Liberal MP for the adjacent riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, said Lincoln was respected by fellow MPs and will be missed.

"I have seen Clifford both in the House and at caucus and he always amazes me because of the depth and breadth of his knowledge. When he spoke at caucus, you could almost hear a pin drop because people always, always liked to hear what Clifford had to say."

Now that Lincoln has made his plans official, Discepola predicted there will be a fierce fight for the riding - one of the safest in the country for the Liberals.

A possible contender for that nomination could be Geoff Kelley, Liberal MNA for the riding of Jacques Cartier. Asked if he might seek the nomination, Kelley was noncommittal, saying he "can't say" and "in politics you never say never."

Kelley said Lincoln has been an eloquent spokesperson for environmental and aboriginal issues.

"He's someone who has made a great contribution to politics, both in Ottawa and Quebec City."

© The Gazette