Ray Perrault

Raymond Joseph Perrault, PC (February 6, 1926 – November 24, 2008) was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and of the Canadian Senate.

Perrault was born in Vancouver, British Columbia a family with strong Liberal roots. His maternal grandfather came from Ontario and enlisted to quell the Metis rebellion led by Louis Riel. His paternal grandfather came from Quebec, where Riel had been a hero. Perrault was educated at Sir Guy Carleton school and John Oliver high school in Vancouver.

After graduating from the University of British Columbia with degrees in economics and political science, he became a communications consultant, working in radio, public relations and advertising. He entered politics in his thirties, becoming leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party in 1959. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1960 provincial election in which the Liberals won fours seats in the legislature (an increase from two in the previous election), and won 20.9% of the popular vote.

In the 1963 election, the Liberals gained one more Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), for a total of five, while their share of the popular vote fell to 19.98%. In Perrault's final election as leader in 1966, the party won an additional seat, and a modest increase in the vote to 20.24%.

He remained an MLA until he resigned in 1968 to enter federal politics in the 1968 federal election. He won a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP), defeating New Democratic Party leader Tommy Douglas by just 152 votes, earning him the nickname "Landslide Ray". He was defeated in the next election in 1972.

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