Yves Michaud (born February 13, 1930 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada) is a prominent Quebec public figure, a sovereigntist and pur et dur supporter of the Parti Québécois. Background In 1959, Michaud received a Canada Council grant to study journalism in France at the Université de Strasbourg. He then began a career as a journalist for the Clairon in Saint-Hyacinthe. He was later chief editor of La Patrie and also had a chronicle for the magazine 7 jours. Member of the legislature He joined the ranks of the Liberal Party of Quebec and was elected in the Gouin riding in the 1966 provincial election, which the Liberals lost. He became friends with fellow Liberals René Lévesque and Robert Bourassa, who would both later become Premiers of Quebec. In 1969, Michaud left the Liberal Party and sat as an Independent to protest against the passage of Bill 63, a controversial language legislation. He ran for re-election as a Liberal candidate in the 1970 election, but was defeated by 12 votes by Parti Québécois candidate Guy Joron. Parti Québécois supporter He joined the Parti Québécois in the subsequent years and ran as was a candidate of this party in the district of Bourassa in 1973 Quebec general election. He lost against Liberal Lise Bacon. He then founded Le Jour, the first daily newspaper promoting Quebec independence. In 1979, he was in charge of the Quebec Government House of Paris. Michaud has called the English language a scar and disfigurement on the face of Montreal. He has also described the language situation in Quebec as a cancer that occasionally goes into remission. Robin Hood of the banks Often called Robin des banques (Robin Hood of the banks), Yves Michaud is known by the people of Quebec for his crusade against the practices of large corporations. In 1993, he founded the Association des petits épargnants et investisseurs du Québec (Association of small savers and investors), and won a number of victories in court. The Michaud Affair In December 2000 Yves Michaud announced that he would seek the Parti Québécois nomination for a by-election in the district of Mercier. However, his candidacy was plagued with controversy, after he made sensitive comments about the Jewish community in a radio interview. One recollection of his comments, amongst other things, was that he stated that the Jewish people had suffered, but that other peoples had also endured great tragedies.