# Vivian Barbot

Vivian Barbot (born July 7, 1941) is a Canadian teacher, activist, and politician. She is a former president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, a former member of Parliament and former vice-president of the Bloc Québécois. She was the party's interim leader and president following the resignation of Gilles Duceppe in May 2011. Barbot became the first person of a visible minority group to lead a Canadian federal political party with parliamentary representation.
Barbot was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti. She is the former Member of Parliament for the riding of Papineau. In the 2006 election, she scored a significant victory for the Bloc by defeating former Liberal Cabinet Minister Pierre Pettigrew, but was defeated two years later in the 2008 federal election by Justin Trudeau. Barbot ran against Trudeau in the 2011 election, but was once again defeated.
The 2011 election also saw the defeat of Gilles Duceppe and all but four Bloc MPs. As vice-president of the party, Barbot was appointed interim party leader and president following Duceppe's resignation and remained in the position until Duceppe's successor, Daniel Paillé, was elected on December 11, 2011.

## Election results

2011 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Justin Trudeau | 16,429 | 38.41 | -3.06 |
| | New Democratic | Marcos Radhamés Tejada | 12,102 | 28.29 | +19.55 |
| | Bloc Québécois | Vivian Barbot | 11,091 | 25.93 | -12.76 |
| | Conservative | Shama Chopra | 2,021 | 4.73 | -2.90 |
| | Green | Danny Polifroni | 806 | 1.88 | -0.96 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Peter Macrisopoulos | 228 | 0.53 | – |
| | Independent | Joseph Young | 95 | 0.22 | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 42,772 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 558 | 1.29 | -0.04 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,330 | 61.46 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 70,500 | – | – |
2008 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Justin Trudeau | 17,724 | 41.47 | +2.99 | $76,857 |
| | Bloc Québécois | Vivian Barbot | 16,535 | 38.69 | -2.06 | $70,872 |
| | New Democratic | Costa Zafiropoulos | 3,734 | 8.74 | +1.04 | $5,745 |
| | Conservative | Mustaque Sarker | 3,262 | 7.63 | -0.69 | $44,958 |
| | Green | Ingrid Hein | 1,213 | 2.84 | -0.76 | $814 |
| | Independent | Mahmood Raza Baig | 267 | 0.62 | +0.20 | |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 42,735 | 100.00 | $81,172 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 576 | 1.33 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,311 |
Note: Baig's share of popular vote as an independent candidate is compared to his share in the 2006 general election as a Canadian Action Party candidate.
2006 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Bloc Québécois | Vivian Barbot | 17,775 | 40.75 | +0.79 | $50,886 |
| | Liberal | Pierre Pettigrew | 16,785 | 38.48 | -2.62 | $75,541 |
| | Conservative | Mustaque Sarker | 3,630 | 8.32 | +3.55 | $34,951 |
| | New Democratic | Marc Hasbani | 3,358 | 7.70 | -1.07 | $2,568 |
| | Green | Louis-Philippe Verenka | 1,572 | 3.60 | +1.03 | $181 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Peter Macrisopoulos | 317 | 0.73 | +0.32 | |
| | Canadian Action | Mahmood-Raza Baig | 185 | 0.42 | – | $2,007 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 43,622 | 100.00 | $76,023 |