Pierre A. Paquette (born June 1, 1955) is a Canadian economist, professor, union leader and politician. Born in Sorel, Quebec, Paquette was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Bloc Québécois in the 2000 Canadian federal election in the riding of Joliette. He was re-elected in the 2004 Canadian federal election defeating the Liberal candidate by nearly 20,000 votes. He is the Bloc former critic of International Financial Institutions and Finance, and is the current critic of Globalization, Financial Institutions, and International Trade. After his promotion to House Leader in April 2007, many pundits claimed he was being groomed as Gilles Duceppe's successor. Paquette made no attempt to dispel rumours that he was considering a run for BQ leadership, openly sta