VETERAN MNA KELLEY LEAVES OFFICE ON HIS OWN TERMS
West Islanders and Englishspeaking Quebecers will be losing a well-respected voice at the National Assembly with the departure of Jacques-Cartier MNA Geoffrey Kelley.
Kelley, 63, made the announcement on Monday, with his family by his side, on the banks of Lake St. Louis in his hometown of Beaconsfield. He will not seek an eighth mandate in the next provincial election, slated for Oct. 1.
Kelley didn’t often appear in the headlines, but he got things done, serving the West Island riding for 24 years. He was first elected as an MNA in 1994 after working four years as a political aide with public security minister Claude Ryan following the 1990 Oka Crisis. That experience was golden for Kelley as he would later be appointed Minister responsible for Native Affairs, a portfolio he currently holds and remains dear to him. It is noteworthy that on the day of the announcement, he wore a tie emblazoned with a symbolic feather.
The father of five, who is also a grandfather, told the gathering that he wasn’t prepared to commit to another four years of travelling from the West Island to Quebec City.
He reflected on some of the contributions he made to the West Island and English-speaking communities.
“One of the key strengths of any community is the strength of its institutions,” Kelley told West Island Gazette reporter John Meagher. “So when I go out to John Abbott and see the AnneMarie Edward Science building, not that I did it by myself, but I worked on that.
“There have been announcements made to strengthen the Lakeshore General Hospital, which has been an ongoing concern for me. I look at the support for McGill, Concordia and Bishop’s (universities). I think those are very important for the long-term health and vitality for the community.”
Several current and former West Island mayors attended Kelley’s farewell announcement. Retired MNA and MP Clifford Lincoln was also in attendance. Kelley named Lincoln as one of his mentors, along with the late Claude Ryan and former PointeClaire mayor Malcolm Knox.
Lincoln, a grand statesman of the West Island himself, had high praise for Kelley, noting he is a prime example of a politician who reflected the ideals of tolerance and the understanding of the need to serve the public.
“In the West Island, we’ve been very fortunate to have (elected) people who truly identify with the community. They are part of the roots of this community. They understand it,” Lincoln said. “Geoff expressed that feeling of being a true West Islander. I think that’s the most important part of his legacy.
“He was so sincere in what he did. It wasn’t just a job. He was a catalyst for doing things because he believed in it. He was close to people and felt for them. He felt for the Indigenous Peoples and he felt for his community. This is the best legacy you can ask of a public servant.”
Bill McMurchie, a former Pointe-Claire mayor, said Kelley was always available to offer advice to city officials or assist them in requesting grants, such as the one the city applied for to expand and renovate its aquatic complex in 2010.
“Geoff was first in line to provide that help and assistance. He was just wonderful,” McMurchie said.
Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle said Kelley was always receptive to local civic concerns.
“Residents liked him very much for what he did and how he supported the community,” the mayor said. “We’re going to be missing him, no doubt about it.”
When first elected, Kelley served as an opposition MNA to the Jacques Parizeau-led Parti Québécois. A year into that mandate, the PQ called Quebec’s second independence referendum. The staunchly federalist West Island held its breath as the No side narrowly won. The Liberals regained power under Jean Charest (2003-2012) and then again, with Philippe Couillard as premier, in 2014.
While Jacques-Cartier is a fairly safe Liberal seat, opinion polls indicate François Legault, who grew up in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, and his Coalition Avenir Québec are set for a breakthrough in the fall election.
It’s fitting that Kelley, who paid his dues as an opposition MNA and then a government backbencher, goes out on top as a minister within a majority government.
Residents liked him very much for what he did and how he supported the community. We’re going to be missing him, no doubt about it. BEACONSFIELD MAYOR GEORGES BOURELLE