Agnès Maltais

Who is Agnès Maltais?

Agnès Maltais is a Quebec politician. She is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Taschereau in the Quebec City region. She represents the Parti Québécois.

Maltais would mostly work in the theatrical sector being a development agent for Video-Femmes and the director of the Periscope and the la Bordée theaters. She was also a member of the Conseil québécois de théâtre. She was a political activist since 1976 when she obtained a diploma at the Cégep de Sainte-Foy. She was a spokesperson for the YES committee in the 1995 referendum and was involved in the organization of the Fête Nationale concerts and shows in 1991 and 1995.

Maltais was first elected in Taschereau in 1998 and became the Minister of Culture and Communications from 1998 to 2001. She was then named the Delegate Minister of Health, Social Services and Youth protection and Delegate Minister of Employment. Re-elected in 2003, she was the President of the Opposition Caucus. She was re-elected for a third term in 2007.

In 2003, Ms. Maltais became the first openly lesbian member of the National Assembly, when she came out to an audience at Laval University. In 2006, she participated in the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights.