- Born
- December 4, 1964 — Champlain, in Mauricie
- Family
- Married to lawyer Brigitte Binette and has three children, Jérémie, Jean-Francis and Anne-Charlotte
- Education
- law degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and a graduate degree in administrative law from the Université de Montréal
- Career
- Worked as a lawyer since his admission to the Quebec Bar in 1988, specializing in civil litigation, labour relations, and health and social services law. He is coauthor of Loi sur les décrets de convention collective annotée, published by Wilson & Lafleur in 1990. Taught labour law administration at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Law and at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He also taught at the École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP).
- Political Experience
- Elected mayor of Saint-Eustache in November 2000 a position he held until August 29, 2009, when he was called to the Senate of Canada. Appointed to the Senate on August 27, 2009, by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Leader of the Government in the Senate from 2013 to 2015 and then as Senate Opposition Leader from 2015 until 2017.
- Notable
- Founding member of the Action démocratique du Québec and active supporter until 2003. Helped promote numerous charitable causes, sat on the boards of several social agencies in his region and created the Fondation Élite Saint-Eustache, which helps talented young people in his community. Ran for the Conservatives in the 2008 federal election in Rivière-des-Mille-Îles
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before his appointment to the Senate in 2009, Claude Carignan had a career in law and municipal politics. He was a co-founder of the law firm Carignan, Desbiens, Gauthier in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. His legal practice focused on areas like civil litigation and municipal law. Carignan was also deeply involved in local government, serving as the mayor of Saint-Eustache from 2000 until he was appointed to the Senate. His professional background is primarily rooted in his legal work and his experience leading a municipality.
Key Relationships & Connections
Claude Carignan was appointed to the Senate on the advice of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and he became a key figure in Harper's government. He served as the Leader of the Government in the Senate and was a member of the federal cabinet from 2013 to 2015. This role placed him in a position of close collaboration with Prime Minister Harper and other senior Conservative cabinet ministers. He has also been a prominent figure within the Conservative Party of Canada, particularly in Quebec. He has served in senior roles within the party's Senate caucus, including as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after the Conservatives lost power in 2015.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
In 2016, the Senate Ethics Officer, Lyse Ricard, investigated Senator Carignan following allegations that his law firm continued to receive contracts from the city of Saint-Eustache, where he had been mayor, after his Senate appointment. The investigation examined whether he had used his position as a senator to influence the awarding of these contracts. The final report from the Ethics Officer concluded that Senator Carignan had not breached the conflict of interest code. The report found no evidence that he had intervened to influence the municipal council's decisions regarding the legal contracts awarded to his former firm.
Public Controversies
Senator Carignan faced scrutiny over his law firm's billing practices during his time as mayor of Saint-Eustache. Media reports in 2012 raised questions about legal fees billed to the city by his firm, suggesting potential overbilling. Carignan defended the billings, stating they were appropriate for the work performed. In a separate matter, the Senate Ethics Officer investigated a complaint in 2017 alleging that Carignan had used Senate resources to help a candidate in a Quebec provincial by-election. The investigation concluded that while his actions created an appearance of improper use of resources, he did not technically breach the rules because the activities took place outside of his Senate office. The Ethics Officer recommended that the rules be clarified to prevent similar situations in the future.