Diane Lemieux, former Parti Quebecois cabinet minister, has been named the new chief of staff to Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay.
Lemieux ran as a Union Montreal candidate in Ahuntsic-Cartierville in the Nov. 1 municipal election, but was defeated.
Had she won, Lemieux would have replaced Claude Dauphin as president of the executive committee.
In a press release, Tremblay stated that he was "very happy that Diane Lemieux is pursuing her political commitment to Montreal."
Lemieux is replacing Stephane Forget, who served as Tremblay's chief of staff for four years.
Tremblay commended Forget for his contribution to the city's administration, while Forget cited personal reasons for his political departure.
Lemieux's new position is effective immediately.
Political experience
Lemieux was first elected as a PQ MNA for the riding of Bourget in 1998.
She served as house leader of the official opposition from 2004 to 2007 and was named both Minister of Culture and Communications and the Minister or Labour during her tenure.
Since March 2008, she has worked as the vice-president of business development for Global Vision, a media company.
