Jean-Serge Brisson

Template:Short description Template:Infobox officeholder Jean-Serge Brisson (born June 28, 1954) is a Canadian political activist, tax reform advocate, politician, and author. He is a former leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada and gained national notoriety in the 1990s for his opposition to businesses being forced to collect the provincial sales tax (PST) without being remunerated.

Early life

Jean-Serge Brisson was born in Embrun, Ontario.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He has operated a radiator repair business in the same community for several decades.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Brisson has also been active in Ontario politics and has been mentioned in regional media such as The Glengarry News for his participation in local elections.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political life

Libertarian candidate

Brisson has been a candidate for the Libertarian Party of Canada and the Libertarian Party of Ontario in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell and Ottawa South. He has never been elected provincially or federally.

In 2004, despite being the leader of the Libertarian Party, Brisson did not run in the federal election due to his recent election to municipal council in Russell, Ontario.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada

Brisson was elected as the leader of the party in 1999 and served until May 18, 2008. Brisson credits himself with organizing the party to be able to re-register itself as an official party with Elections Canada and for running more candidates.<ref name="Brisson1">Jean-Serge Brisson, Tea Party of One: All Governments Invited (Renfrew: General Store Publishing House).</ref>

City Councillor

Following three unsuccessful attempts (including a narrow miss in 2000), Brisson was elected to the municipal council of Russell Township in November 2003 with 1,639 votes. As Councillor he opposed municipal legislation requiring all employees of local government to be proficient in both French and English. He was defeated in his bid for re-election on November 13, 2006 in the 2006 municipal election.

In the 2010 municipal election on October 25, 2010, he unsuccessfully sought election to city council again. With 1,045 votes, he placed ninth out of the nine candidates seeking the four council sets.

Opposition to PST collection

In the early 1990s, Brisson publicly opposed the requirement for small businesses to collect the Ontario Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on behalf of the government. He argued that obligating business owners to collect taxes without compensation was unfair and likened the practice to forced labour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Brisson stated that if businesses were required to act as tax collectors, they should receive payment equivalent to government employees performing similar duties. His protest led to conflict with provincial tax authorities, and he later chronicled his experience in his 2014 book, Tea Party of One: All Governments Invited.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Electoral record (provincial and federal)

• 1988 Canadian federal election, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, 335 votes (winner: Don Boudria, Liberal)
• 1990 Ontario general election, Prescott and Russell, 618 votes (winner: Jean Poirier, Liberal)
• 1993 Canadian federal election, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, 244 votes (winner: Don Boudria, Liberal)
• 1995 Ontario general election, Prescott and Russell, 626 votes (winner: Jean-Marc Lalonde, Liberal)
• 2007 Ontario general election, Ottawa South, 384 votes (winner: Dalton McGuinty, Liberal)
• 2008 Canadian federal election, Ottawa South, 244 votes (winner: David McGuinty, Liberal)
• 2011 Canadian federal election, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, 194 votes (winner: Pierre Lemieux, Conservative)
• 2011 Ontario general election, Ottawa South, 252 votes (winner: Dalton McGuinty, Liberal)
• 2013 Ontario by-election, Ottawa South, 208 votes (winner: John Fraser, Liberal)
• 2014 Ontario general election, Ottawa South, 273 votes (winner: John Fraser, Liberal)
• 2015 Canadian federal election, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, 377 votes (winner: Francis Drouin, Liberal)
• 2018 Ontario general election, Carleton, 386 votes (winner: Goldie Ghamari, Progressive Conservative)
• 2020 Ontario by-election, Orléans, 177 votes (winner: Stephen Blais, Liberal)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Electoral record of councillors of Russell, 2010

Rang	Councillors Candidate	Vote	%
1.	Érik Bazinet	2634	15
2.	Pierre Leroux	2547	14
3.	Craig Cullen	2322	13
4.	Jamie Laurin	2305	13
5.	Jim Cooper	2242	13
6.	Donald Saint-Pierre	1749	10
7.	Raymond Saint-Pierre	1278	7
8.	Jacques Aubé	1107	6
9.	Jean-Serge Brisson	1045	6

Personal life

File:Jean-Serge Brisson avec son neveu Marc-Antoine Gagnier en 2018.jpg

Jean-Serge Brisson with his nephew Marc-Antoine Gagnier for his sign to support him during the 2018 municipal election campaign

Brisson is a francophone and advocate for francophone rights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, his radiator repair shop came under fire for having a sign with its services listed only in French.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Brisson's nephew, Marc-Antoine Gagnier, was the author, radio host and politic's candidate in three times.<ref>https://www.facebook.com/Pageofficielle.MarcAntoine/photos/pb.100063403512883.-2207520000/697948013900476/?type=3 Template:User-generated source</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>