He was a cabinet minister for several ministries from 1994 to 2003 when the Parti Québécois formed the government under the leadership of Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.
He graduated from the Université de Montréal with a Bachelor of Arts in 1958, before earning a law degree from the same institution three years later.
[1] He then obtained a medical degree from the Université Laval in 1966, before being awarded a masters and doctorate in public health from Harvard University.
[3] Rochon was the head of a major report on the state of health and social services in the provinces from 1985 to 1987, when the Liberals and then-Premier Robert Bourassa were in power.
[1] His seat was subsequently won by the Liberal candidate Éric Mercier, who defeated Jonatan Julien of the Action démocratique du Québec in the 2003 Quebec general election.