Editing Denis Coderre (section)

=== Member of Parliament ===
Coderre was elected as a member of Parliament in [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997]] representing the riding of Bourassa, located in [[Montreal]], and was re-elected in the [[2000 Canadian federal election|2000]], [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004]], [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006]], [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008]], and [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011 federal elections]]. In August 1999 he was appointed [[Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities|secretary of state for amateur sport]].

==== Cabinet minister ====
In January 2002, he was appointed [[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)|immigration minister]].

On December 12, 2003, prime minister [[Paul Martin]] advised [[Governor General of Canada|governor general]] [[Adrienne Clarkson]] to appoint Coderre to the Cabinet as [[president of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada]] where he was responsible for a number of files, such as the creation of the new Public Service Human Resources Management Agency. He was also the [[Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians|federal interlocutor for Métis and non-status Indians]], the minister responsible for ''[[La Francophonie]]'' and the minister responsible for the Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution. Coderre was not re-appointed to Cabinet following the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 general election]], despite being re-elected in his riding.

As minister of immigration, Coderre supervised the application of the [[Immigration and Refugee Protection Act]], which came into effect on June 28, 2002. As secretary of state for amateur sport, Coderre successfully negotiated a number of national and international agreements and helped to establish the [[World Anti-Doping Agency]] in Montreal.

'''Adil Charkaoui'''

As minister of immigration, Coderre was responsible for the detention of [[Adil Charkaoui]], a Moroccan immigrant with a checkered travel history, on a [[security certificate]]. Restrictions on Charkaoui's conditional release were gradually lifted, and were cancelled in September 2009,<ref name=Gazette2015>{{cite news |url=https://montrealgazette.com/life/Anti+charter+rallies+going+ahead+Park+Quebec/9002415/story.html |title=Anti-charter rallies going ahead in Park Ex, Quebec |date=October 6, 2013 |last=Solyom |first=Catherine |work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009041839/https://montrealgazette.com/life/Anti+charter+rallies+going+ahead+Park+Quebec/9002415/story.html |archive-date=October 9, 2013 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref><ref name=Globe20090924a>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-course-of-the-case/article1202752 |title=The course of the case |date=September 24, 2009 |last=Freeze |first=Colin |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104201851/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-course-of-the-case/article1202752/ |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref> on his final release order by [[Federal Court (Canada)|Federal Court]] judge [[Danièle Tremblay-Lamer]].<ref name=Globe20090924b>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/r-v-charkaoui/article4295499 |title=R. v. Charkaoui |date=September 24, 2009 |last=Freeze |first=Colin |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104202336/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/r-v-charkaoui/article4295499/ |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>

==== Sponsorship scandal ====
During the events of the [[sponsorship scandal]], Coderre was accused of frequent confidential conversations with Pierre Tremblay, head of the Communications Coordination Services Branch of [[Public Services and Procurement Canada|Public Works]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/438687569/203D8D1CD1754696PQ |title=Scandal tied to PMO; Chretien's aide made calls Insider Politicians deny applying pressure |date=March 13, 2004 |last=Cribb |first=Robert |work=[[Toronto Star]] |page=A01 |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 4, 2025 |id={{ProQuest|438687569}}}}</ref> Coderre has denied these allegations. His previous position as vice-president of public affairs for Le Groupe Polygone Éditeurs Inc. was judged to be a key connecting factor.
<ref name="whoswho">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/groupaction/sponsorshipprogram.html |title= Who's who: Companies |date=February 17, 2004 |work=[[CBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104204402/https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/groupaction/sponsorshipprogram.html |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref> Close links to Claude Boulay of Groupe Everest, another actor in the sponsorship scandal, were also made during the Gomery Inquiry.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/groupaction/publicinquiry.html |title=Gomery Inquiry: A summary of the testimony |date=June 3, 2005 |work=[[CBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104204956/https://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/groupaction/publicinquiry.html |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>

==== Shane Doan incident ====
During the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 election]], Coderre accused [[National Hockey League]] player [[Shane Doan]] of uttering ethnic slurs directed against French-speaking referees at a game in Montreal. Coderre wrote a letter to the [[Canadian Olympic Committee]] asking them to keep Doan off Canada's [[Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament|2006 hockey team]] competing at the Olympics in [[Turin, Italy]]. [[The Globe and Mail]] columnist [[Eric Duhatschek]] noted that "the NHL is tough on ethnic slurs ... if Mr. Coderre has any proof he should produce it. Otherwise he should just shut up." Hockey commentator John Davidson accused Coderre of "grandstanding" and criticized his accusation, saying that "a person shouldn't go stand on a platform and yell and scream about it when he doesn't even know the facts."<ref name="DoanCBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/shane-doan-takes-legal-action-against-liberal-mp-1.614389 |title=Shane Doan takes legal action against Liberal MP |orig-date=January 17, 2006 |date=January 18, 2006 |work=[[CBC Sports]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104205556/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/shane-doan-takes-legal-action-against-liberal-mp-1.614389 |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>

Doan was given a gross misconduct penalty for verbal abuse of the officials at the end of the December 13, 2005 game between his team, the [[Phoenix Coyotes]], and the [[Montreal Canadiens]]. Referees and linesmen for the game were all Francophones from Quebec. Although one of the linesmen, [[Michel Cormier (linesman)|Michel Cormier]], filed a report against the player, Doan was cleared by NHL's chief disciplinarian and executive vice-president [[Colin Campbell (ice hockey executive)|Colin Campbell]], who concluded that the allegations were baseless. Doan himself has denied that he ever made the ethnic slur.<ref name="DoanCBC"/>

In January 2006, Doan sued Coderre for character defamation seeking $250,000 in damages with Doan promising to donate all damages awarded to charities to benefit Canadians.<ref name="DoanCBC"/> In April 2007, Coderre counter-sued Doan for defamation seeking $45,000 in damages.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/357598414/B6A0034241E2433EPQ |title=MP Coderre counters Shane Doan |date=April 2, 2007 |work=[[Nelson Daily News]] |page=6 |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |location=Montreal, Quebec, Canada |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|357598414}}}}</ref>

==== Opposition MP ====
Coderre won re-election to the House of Commons in 2006, but the Liberals lost the campaign and became the [[Official Opposition (Canada)|official opposition]]. Coderre was the Liberal defence critic. In 2007, Coderre made allegations against the previous [[Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)|chief of Defence Staff]] general [[Rick Hillier]] of being a "prop".<ref name="prop">{{cite news |url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a101c9e1-f3be-4e5c-9cbb-cf1a83ff31b7 |title=Liberal slur worst insult, Hillier says |date=March 1, 2007 |work=[[National Post]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109033859/http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a101c9e1-f3be-4e5c-9cbb-cf1a83ff31b7 |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |access-date=January 4, 2025 |via=[[Canada.com]]}}</ref> Hillier, in return, accused Coderre of being more concerned with party image than in protecting Canadian Forces members.<ref name="hillier">{{Cite book |title=A soldier first: Bullets, bureaucrats and the politics of war |last=Hillier |first=Rick |author-link=Rick Hillier |year=2009 |page=421 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada |isbn=9781554684915}}</ref> In October 2007, Coderre made a self-planned visit to [[Afghanistan]] to visit the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|war-torn country]] and the [[Canadian Forces]] in the [[Kandahar]] region. He criticized the Harper government who did not invite him on an official tour of the country that was made by ministers [[Bev Oda]] and [[Maxime Bernier]] a few days before him. Consequently, Coderre, as Liberal defence critic, had to travel by himself at his own expense. He then mentioned that the mission in Afghanistan must change in 2009. The government had accused him of staging a stunt while he fired back that the Conservatives overestimated the success of the mission.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/coderre-arrives-in-kandahar-to-speak-with-troops-1.259283 |title=Coderre arrives in Kandahar to speak with troops |date=October 8, 2007 |work=[[CTV News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104212757/https://www.ctvnews.ca/coderre-arrives-in-kandahar-to-speak-with-troops-1.259283 |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>

===== Quebec lieutenant =====
On January 22, 2009, Coderre became the [[Quebec lieutenant]] of Liberal leader [[Michael Ignatieff]]. He had been offered the same assignment by former leader [[Stéphane Dion]], but had declined the offer.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200901/22/01-820090-coderre-devient-lieutenant-politique-au-quebec.php |title=Coderre devient lieutenant politique au Québec |lang=fr |trans-title=Coderre named Quebec lieutenant |date=January 22, 2009 |work=[[La Presse]] |agency=[[La Presse Canadienne]] |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104213248/https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200901/22/01-820090-coderre-devient-lieutenant-politique-au-quebec.php |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>

In 2009, future [[Green Party of Canada]] co-leader [[Jonathan Pedneault]] sought the Liberal nomination in his home district of [[Longueuil—Saint-Hubert|Longueuil-Pierre-Boucher]]. Coderre, the party's lieutenant in Quebec, blocked his bid and appointed a candidate, despite Ignatieff's assurances the party would hold open nominations in all ridings not represented by a sitting MP.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Coderre gagne, le PLC perd |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/200909/22/01-904181-coderre-gagne-le-plc-perd.php |url-status=live |access-date=July 22, 2022 |newspaper=La Presse |date=22 September 2009 |last1=Marissal |first1=Vincent |archive-date=23 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723232815/https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/200909/22/01-904181-coderre-gagne-le-plc-perd.php }}</ref> This prompted Pedneault to co-author an op-ed in La Presse calling on Ignatieff to uphold his promise to democratize the party.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Nous méritons mieux |newspaper=La Presse |date=24 September 2009 |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/votre-opinion/200909/24/01-905144-nous-meritons-mieux.php |url-status=live |access-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-date=23 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723232815/https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/votre-opinion/200909/24/01-905144-nous-meritons-mieux.php }}</ref>

On September 28, 2009, Coderre resigned as Quebec lieutenant because of a disagreement with Ignatieff. Coderre had been tasked with picking '[[star candidate]]s' for the next election, attempting to replace Montreal-area MPs [[Stéphane Dion]], [[Lise Zarac]], and [[Bernard Patry]], as well as Laval MP [[Raymonde Folco]], at Ignatieff's request.<ref name="QuebecSmackdown">{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/330850745/99BADA17F334387PQ |title=Quebec smackdown |date=September 25, 2009 |last=MacDonald |first=L. Ian |author-link=L. Ian MacDonald |work=[[National Post]] |page=A17 |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 4, 2025 |id={{ProQuest|330850745}}}}</ref> Coderre had chosen Nathalie Le Prohon to run in Outremont, formerly a Liberal safe seat held by the NDP's [[Thomas Mulcair]]. However, [[Martin Cauchon]] was seeking a return to politics and wanted to run in [[Outremont (electoral district)|Outremont]], a riding he had held for 11 years prior to 2004 when then-Liberal leader [[Paul Martin]] would not guarantee Cauchon's nomination. Cauchon had served as [[Jean Chrétien]]'s [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|minister of justice]] and [[Quebec lieutenant]]. Cauchon preferred to seek help from [[Alfred Apps]] from Toronto instead of talking to Coderre and his team. Cauchon and Coderre had previously been close when both were part of Chrétien's cabinet, but some suggest that Coderre now saw Cauchon as a potential rival for influence over the Quebec wing of the Liberals, and perhaps in a future leadership convention.<ref name="QuebecSmackdown"/><ref name="LieutenantResign">{{cite news |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/coderre-steps-down-as-ignatieff-s-quebec-lieutenant-1.438538 |title=Coderre steps down as Ignatieff's Quebec lieutenant |orig-date=September 28, 2009 |date=May 18, 2012 |work=[[CTV News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104220208/https://www.ctvnews.ca/coderre-steps-down-as-ignatieff-s-quebec-lieutenant-1.438538 |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref> Ignatieff initially sided with Coderre, then reversed his decision and allowed Cauchon to run in Outremont.<ref name="LieutenantResign"/>

In Coderre's first press conference after resigning as Quebec lieutenant, he criticized Ignatieff's aides, all of whom were from Toronto. Coderre also skipped votes in the House of Commons in protest. Ignatieff later warned that Coderre would face expulsion from caucus if he did "any more damage to the party."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/704251 |title=Rebel Coderre could get the boot |date=October 2, 2009 |last=Delacourt |first=Susan |author-link=Susan Delacourt |work=[[Toronto Star]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005173903/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/704251 |archive-date=October 5, 2009 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>

In 2012, Coderre confirmed that he would not run for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/coderre-not-running-for-liberal-leader-mum-on-mayor-s-race-1.1221352 |title=Coderre not running for Liberal leader, mum on mayor's race |orig-date=October 31, 2012 |date=November 1, 2012 |work=[[CBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104220904/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/coderre-not-running-for-liberal-leader-mum-on-mayor-s-race-1.1221352 |archive-date=January 4, 2025 |access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>