- Born
- October 13, 1949 — Quebec
- Education
- Economist
- Career
- Held executive jobs with the Conseil du patronat du Québec from September 2003 to April 2007, including Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist from April 2006 to April 2007.
- Political Experience
- Appointed to the Senate of Canada on September 6, 2012. Sat as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada caucus until March 2016. Resigned to sit as an Independent in March 2016. Appointed Deputy Government Representative to the Senate in May 2016. Joined the ISG on November 14, 2019. Joined the Progressive Senate Group on September 17, 2021. Served until mandatory retirement on October 13, 2024.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before being appointed to the Senate, Diane Bellemare was a prominent economist and academic. She was a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) for many years and was involved with economic research institutions, focusing on topics like employment, labour markets, and social policy. Her work was primarily in the academic and public policy sectors rather than private business. As a senator, her public disclosures have reportedly included various publicly traded securities and investment funds, which is common for public office holders.
Key Relationships & Connections
Diane Bellemare was appointed to the Senate in 2012 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and she initially sat as a Conservative. However, she has since changed her affiliation multiple times within the Senate. In 2016, she left the Conservative caucus to sit as an independent. She later became a key figure in the Independent Senators Group (ISG), serving for a time as its facilitator or leader. She subsequently left the ISG to help form and lead the Progressive Senate Group (PSG), a different non-partisan group in the upper chamber.