- Born
- February 2, 1950 — Quebec
- Political Experience
- Ran as a Conservative candidate in the 2011 Canadian federal election in Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot. Appointed to the Senate of Canada on January 17, 2012. Left the Conservative Senate caucus in 2019 to sit with the Canadian Senators Group. Left the Conservative party in 2022. Retired on February 2, 2025.
- Notable
- In 2019, he left the Conservative's Senate caucus to join the Canadian Senators Group due to disagreements with Andrew Scheer's leadership. In January 2021, he travelled to Florida despite public health advice to avoid non-essential international travel. He endorsed Jean Charest in the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election and left the party after Pierre Poilievre was elected leader.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before his appointment to the Senate, Jean-Guy Dagenais had a long career in law enforcement. He worked for more than 30 years with the Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force in Quebec. During his policing career, he became involved in police union activities. He served as president of the Association des policières et policiers provinciaux du Québec, the union representing provincial police officers, for several years. This role made him a public figure in Quebec before he entered federal politics.
Key Relationships & Connections
Jean-Guy Dagenais was appointed to the Senate in 2012 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and he initially sat as a member of the Conservative caucus. Before his Senate appointment, he had run as a candidate for the provincial political party Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), led by François Legault. In 2019, Dagenais left the Conservative caucus, citing disagreements with the social views of then-leader Andrew Scheer. He subsequently joined the Canadian Senators Group (CSG), a non-partisan group in the Senate, and later the Progressive Senate Group before his retirement.
Public Controversies
Jean-Guy Dagenais faced public criticism for hiring his partner, Christine Moore, to work in his Senate office. While the practice was reportedly not against Senate rules at the time, it raised questions about nepotism and the use of public funds, leading to media scrutiny. He also generated controversy over his social media posts, particularly on Facebook. Critics and political opponents accused him of sharing inflammatory or anti-immigrant content, especially concerning asylum seekers crossing the border into Canada. Dagenais defended his posts as expressions of his concerns about border security and immigration policy.