Daniel Gobeil
Daniel Gobeil | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord | |
| Assumed office August 31, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Martel |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Liberal |
| Occupation | Dairy farmer, agronomist |
Daniel Gobeil is a Canadian dairy farmer, agronomist and politician who is the Liberal member of Parliament for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2026 Chicoutimi—Le Fjord federal by-election.[1] Before entering politics, he was president of Les Producteurs de lait du Québec (PLQ) from 2020 to 2026 and vice-president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.
Agricultural career
[edit]Gobeil is an agronomist by training and a dairy farmer in La Baie, Saguenay, Quebec. He owns Ferme du Fjord, a family farm originally acquired by his grandfather and subsequently operated by three generations of the family. The farm has approximately 200 cattle, including 125 lactating cows, and more than 1,000 acres (400 ha) used for forage and crops including barley, oats and soybeans.[2]
Gobeil became involved with Les Producteurs de lait du Québec in 2007. He became the organization's first vice-president in December 2017 and was also president of the Producteurs de lait du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.[2] In April 2020, following the departure of Bruno Letendre, Gobeil became acting president of the provincial organization. Its board of directors elected him president on May 1, 2020.[3]
As president, Gobeil represented Quebec dairy farmers on issues including supply management, agricultural trade and compensation associated with international trade agreements. He was among agricultural representatives who supported federal legislation intended to protect supply-managed sectors from further concessions in future trade negotiations.[4]
Gobeil joined the board of directors of the Dairy Farmers of Canada in 2017 and was elected vice-president in September 2023.[2] He remained president of Les Producteurs de lait du Québec until July 24, 2026, when he resigned to enter federal politics. He also left his positions as president of the Producteurs de lait du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and vice-president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.[5]
Political career
[edit]In July 2026, Gobeil became the Liberal candidate in the federal by-election in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. The seat had become vacant after Conservative MP Richard Martel was appointed to the Senate of Canada.[5][6]
His candidacy attracted attention because of his prominence in Quebec agriculture and his previous advocacy for supply management. Before his candidacy was formally announced, a July poll placed the Bloc Québécois at 30 per cent, the Liberals at 28 per cent and the Conservatives at 26 per cent in the riding.[7] During the campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned with Gobeil in the riding.[8]
Gobeil's previous leadership of the dairy producers became an issue during the campaign. In August 2026, several dairy farmers affected by the proposed Alto high-speed rail project criticized him for what they described as insufficient opposition to the project's potential effects on agricultural land while he headed the PLQ. The Liberal Party responded that the project needed to take farmers' circumstances into account and that protecting agricultural land remained a priority.[9]
Electoral history
[edit]| Canadian federal by-election, August 31, 2026: Chicoutimi—Le Fjord Resignation of Richard Martel | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Daniel Gobeil | 16,333 | 51.55 | +20.43 | ||||
| Bloc Québécois | Caroline Dubé | 10,397 | 32.82 | +1.63 | ||||
| Conservative | Régis Gaudreault | 3,985 | 12.58 | -21.56 | ||||
| New Democratic | Raphaël Émond | 577 | 1.82 | –0.13 | ||||
| Green | Nathe Perrone | 218 | 0.69 | -0.25 | ||||
| People's | François Sabourin | 171 | 0.54 | -0.13 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 31,681 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 363 | |||||||
| Turnout | 32,044 | 42.96 | -25.58 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 74,952 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.91 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada | ||||||||
References
[edit]- ↑ "Liberals win byelections in Toronto and Quebec, CBC News projects". CBC News. August 31, 2026. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Biographie de Daniel Gobeil". Les Producteurs de lait du Québec (in French). Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Daniel Gobeil est élu à la présidence des Producteurs de lait du Québec" (in French). Les Producteurs de lait du Québec. CNW Telbec. May 1, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Le Mouvement pour la gestion de l'offre salue l'adoption du projet de loi C-282 et invite le Sénat à l'étudier rapidement" (in French). Union des producteurs agricoles. June 21, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- 1 2 Laplante El Haïli, Myriam (July 31, 2026). "Daniel Gobeil brigue un siège à Ottawa". La Terre de chez nous (in French). Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- ↑ Lapointe, Émile (July 24, 2026). "Daniel Gobeil sera candidat libéral dans Chicoutimi–Le Fjord". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ Martin, Alex (July 24, 2026). "Le Bloc Québécois en tête dans Chicoutimi–Le Fjord, selon un sondage". TVA Nouvelles (in French). Retrieved August 31, 2026.
- ↑ Béland, Gabriel (August 24, 2026). "Le pari saguenéen de Mark Carney" [Mark Carney's Saguenay gamble]. La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- ↑ Pirro, Raphaël (August 15, 2026). "TGV Alto : Des producteurs laitiers demandent des comptes au candidat libéral Daniel Gobeil". TVA Nouvelles (in French). Retrieved August 31, 2026.