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Bélanger was born in Mattawa, Ontario, a small logging town in Eastern Ontario. He attended the University of Ottawa where he was heavily involved in student politics and stayed in Ottawa working in goverment and the private sector.
He was first elected to parliament on February 13, 1995 in a by-election after his predecessor was appointed to the Senate. Bélanger represents a largely francophone riding of Ottawa-Vanier in eastern Ottawa. It is one of the most solidly Liberal ridings having returned a Liberal since 1935, usually in a landslide. Bélanger has continued this trend won by large margins in the 1997 election and 2000 election.
During the Chretien administration he was a permanent back-bencher and attracted very little notice. Belanger became a close ally of Paul Martin and became an organizer of his leadership bid. When Martin became Prime Minister in 2003 Belanger was given a minor cabinet position. He has been a noted advocate for the rights of Franco-Ontariens. However Belanger is generally considered to be inconsequential as a cabinet minister as evidenced by the fact that Mr. Martin made a deputy government leader. Belanger's aspirations for the leadership of the Liberal Party are clearly doomed.