A Law graduate of the University of Sherbrooke, Monique Gagnon-Tremblay was born in Plessisville. She began her civic engagement and political career as a councilwoman for the city of Ascot Corner in 1979. She was then elected as MNA for Saint-François in 1985, and was re-elected no less than six times since.

Mrs. Gagnon-Tremblay has assumed important responsibilities throughout her political career. She was, in turns, Minister of the Status of Women and Minister responsible for daycare, Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities, and Minister of International Relations and Minister responsible for the Francophonie. She became the first woman in Quebec history to become Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board, and the first to act as Leader of the Official Opposition. She was Deputy Prime Minister in 1994 and held that important function again from 2003 to 2005.

She was instrumental in the ratification of three historic agreements for Quebec : the Canada-Quebec Agreement on Immigration, the Agreement on Quebec’s place at UNESCO and the Agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications between France and Quebec.

Re-elected in December of 2008, she served as the Chair of the Conseil du trésor and Minister responsible for Government Administration and Infrastructures, in addition to her role as Minister responsible for Estrie. Since August 2010, she is Minister of International Relations and Minister responsible for La Francophonie.