interest in the affairs of the Gaspé. Political career Lower Canada When Christie came to Lower Canada, there were tensions building between the elected Legislative Assembly and the various governors, appointed by the British government. The Parti canadien (also known as the Parti patriote) had begun to challenge the actions of the governors, who governed without regard to the wishes of the elected Assembly, particularly on the issue of the budget. One of the leaders of the Parti canadien at this time was James Stuart, also an alumnus of King's College at Windsor, who appeared to have some influence on Christie. However, Christie gained favour with Governor General Lord Dalhousie, and came to be a supporter of the provincial government against the popular movement in the Assembly. In 1827, Christie was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada representing Gaspé and was appointed chairman of the Court of Quarter Sessions for the Quebec district. He generally supported the Government Party, also known as the Parti des Bureaucrates. He came into conflict with the Parti Canadien for removing magistrates who opposed the governor. The issue was investigated by a committee of the Assembly, and its report recounted his hot-tempered dealings with other members on the issue, particularly Louis Bourdages, one of the leaders of the Parti canadien. In 1829, he was expelled from the Legislative Assembly, the first of five expulsions. However, the constituents of Gaspé continued to vote him back in. His opponents in the Assembly, notably leaders of the Parti canadien such as Bourdages and John Neilson, argued that the repeated expulsions amounted to a legal disqualification to be elected to the Assembly. However, his supporters in the Assembly argued that approach would place the Assembly over the wishes of the populace in choosing their representatives. The issue was referred to the Colonial Secretary, Viscount Goderich, who ruled in favour of Christie's continued eligibility for election to the Assembly. The conflict with the Parti canadien and the expulsions was complicated by Christie's attempt to start a movement to separate the Gaspé from Lower Canada and join the province of New Brunswick. At the time, the Gaspé had a significant anglophone population. This proposal alienated the voters of the region and he was defeated by John Le Boutillier in a by-election in 1833, after his fifth expulsion from the Assembly. Christie temporarily retired from politics. Summary of expulsions from