bertrand entered politics in 1994 and was elected for the first of four mandates in charlevoix. during his first mandate he was the chair of the government caucus from 1994 to 1996. after being re-elected in 1998, he was the delegate minister responsible for the capitale-nationale region from 2001 to 2003. bertrand was later re-elected in 2003 and 2007. during his third mandate, he was the critic in financial institutions.