He was the mayor of Gatineau from 1983 to 1988 and is now president of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (known in English as the Quebec Human Rights Commission).
•
After the election, local activist Sylvain Simard charged that Cousineau should resign as mayor due to being in a conflict-of-interest over property he co-owned near the city's proposed downtown core.
Incumbent mayor Gaétan Cousineau was narrowly re-elected over a challenge from former mayor John Luck.