In February 2014, he revealed that he was battling multiple myeloma, but insisted he would run for office again in the 2015 election.

[citation needed] Galipeau started politics as a Liberal and worked for MPs Mauril Bélanger and Eugène Bellemare.

[3] He also served as campaign manager for the unsuccessful Liberal candidate in Carleton in the 1995 Ontario provincial election.

[4][5] In May 2007, Galipeau apologized for an incident in which he broke parliamentary rules by crossing the floor to argue with Liberal MP David McGuinty after a heated exchange over the Conservative MP's record on Francophone rights.

[5] After being re-elected in the 2008 election, Galipeau ran to replace Peter Milliken as Speaker of the House, but lost.