# Joseph-Roland Comtois

Joseph-Roland Comtois (3 March 1929 – 31 October 2020) is a former a Liberal party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was a professional engineer, soldier and reservist by career.

## History

Comtois' first attempts to enter national politics were unsuccessful as he was defeated at the Joliette—L'Assomption—Montcalm riding in the 1962 and 1963 federal elections.
Comtois won the riding on his third attempt in the 1965 federal election after its Progressive Conservative incumbent, Louis-Joseph Pigeon, did not seek re-election. Following rearrangement of riding boundaries, Comtois was re-elected at Terrebonne riding in the 1968, 1972 and 1974 federal elections.
In 1976, Comtois resigned his federal seat to become a candidate in the Quebec provincial election. This attempt was unsuccessful and he won back his federal seat at Terrebonne in a 24 May 1977 by-election. He won further re-election in the 1979 and 1980 federal elections. He left federal politics after his defeat to Progressive Conservative Robert Toupin in the 1984 federal election.
Comtois served in the 27th through 32nd Canadian Parliaments, except for his brief resignation during the 30th Parliament.
In 2005, Comtois was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians.

## Electoral record

vte1984 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Robert Toupin | 43,822 | 60.30 |
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois (incumbent) | 19,040 | 26.20 |
| | New Democratic | Brian Umansky | 6,454 | 8.88 |
| | Parti nationaliste | Jean-A. Bonin | 3,060 | 4.21 |
| | Commonwealth of Canada | Claude Brosseau | 292 | 0.40 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 72,668 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 1,634 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 74,302 | 74.93 |
| Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | 99,162 |
| Source: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Thirty-third General Election, 1984. |||||||
vte1980 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois | 36,089 | 68.3 | +6.0 |
| | New Democratic | Gilles Bertrand | 6,917 | 13.1 | +7.5 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Jacques Dupuis | 4,807 | +9.1 | -1.4 |
| | Social Credit | Georgette Grenier | 2,839 | 5.4 | -12.9 |
| | Rhinoceros | Pédro Gervais G.D. Drapeau | 1,844 | 3.5 | +1.2 |
| | Union populaire | Réal Godin | 233 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Jacques Coderre | 131 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 52,860 | 100.0 |
| lop.parl.ca |||||||
vte1979 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois | 34,839 | 62.3 | +7.2 |
| | Social Credit | Georgette Grenier | 10,239 | 18.3 | +14.0 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Louis-Rhéal Tremblay | 5,845 | 10.5 | -23.8 |
| | New Democratic | Roland Francis | 3,114 | 5.6 | +2.7 |
| | Rhinoceros | Jean-Marie Da Silva | 1,306 | 2.3 | |
| | Union populaire | Réal Godin | 298 | 0.5 | |
| | Marxist–Leninist | André Cousineau | 164 | 0.3 | |
| | Communist | Gaétan Trudel | 122 | 0.2 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 55,927 | 100.0 |
Canadian federal by-election, 24 May 1977: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| On Mr. Comtois' resignation, 25 October 1976 |||||||
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois | 25,006 | 55.1 | -1.1 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Roger Delorme | 15,539 | 34.2 | +14.8 |
| | Social Credit | Jean Léveillé | 1,949 | 4.3 | -11.7 |
| | New Democratic | Pierre Demers | 1,299 | 2.9 | -4.6 |
| | Independent | Gilles Mélançon | 1,151 | 2.5 | |
| | Communist | Claude Demers | 290 | 0.6 | +0.1 |
| | Independent | J. Noël St-Michel | 167 | 0.4 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 45,401 | 100.0 |
vte1974 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois | 28,652 | 56.1 | +9.1 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Gilles Mélançon | 9,897 | 19.4 | -5.4 |
| | Social Credit | Guy Meunier | 8,138 | 15.9 | -4.6 |
| | New Democratic | Pierre Demers | 3,812 | 7.5 | -0.1 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Françoise Daoust | 272 | 0.5 | |
| | Communist | Nicole Ledoux | 265 | 0.5 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 51,036 | 100.0 |
| lop.parl.ca |||||||
vte1972 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois | 24,928 | 47.1 | -15.0 |
| | Social Credit | Guy Meunier | 13,136 | 24.8 | +20.8 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Michel Coté | 10,885 | 20.5 | +0.3 |
| | New Democratic | Pierre Demers | 4,022 | 7.6 | -3.7 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 52,971 | 100.0 |
| Note: Social Credit vote is compared to Ralliement créditiste vote in the 1968 election. |||||||
| Source: lop.parl.ca |||||||
vte1968 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph-Roland Comtois | 21,191 | 62.0 | +17.8 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Jacques Vachon | 6,934 | 20.3 | -7.1 |
| | New Democratic | Jean-Maurice Sénécal | 3,860 | 11.3 | -2.9 |
| | Ralliement créditiste | Rosario Therrien | 1,363 | 4.0 | -10.2 |
| | Démocratisation Économique | Pierre Therrien | 824 | 2.4 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 34,172 | 100.0 |