Quebec has a new lineup of cabinet ministers, including one person who has yet to be elected to the National Assembly.
Wednesday morning in the red room of the National Assembly, Premier Jean Charest presented his new cabinet.
There is only one new face in the cabinet: Jean-Marc Fournier, who will run in a by-election in St. Laurent this fall, holds the portfolio of Justice, as well as Reform of Democratic Institutions and Access to Information.
Before he left provincial politics in 2008, Fournier was Minister of Revenue, and assuming he is elected in the safe Liberal seat, he will once again become House Leader.
Fournier and Charest hugged each other tightly after the swearing-in ceremony.
12 members have new duties
In all 12 members of the cabinet took on new duties, while two others, Yolande James and Clement Bechard, saw part of their portfolios transferred to other ministers.
Robert Dutil, who is taking over the role of Minister of Public Security from Jacques Dupuis, had to wait for a standing ovation to stop before he could take his oath.
Meanwhile Kathleen Weil, the first-time MNA who was stripped of the high-profile Justice portfolio and made Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities, was the only MNA to take her oath in English and in French.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Charest said that the changes to the cabinet "emphasize the strengths of the people involved," while being focused on Quebec's future.
"This team is the best equipped to deal with the unique economic changes faced by Quebec," said Charest. "This team is made of men and women who have learned to work together."
- Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, Minister of Intergovernmental Relations, La Francophonie, and the Eastern Townships (formerly Government Administration and President of the Treasury Board)
- Jean-Marc Fournier, Minister of Justice, and Reform of Democratic Institutions. Will become House Leader if elected
- Line Beauchamp, Education, Recreation and Sports. (formerly Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks )
- Michelle Courchesne, President of Treasury Board, Minister of Government Administration and Government Services, and responsible for Laval, Laurentians and Lanaudiere (formerly Education)
- Raymond Bachand, Minister of Finance, Revenue, and Montreal (adds Revenue, which was held by Dutil)
- Julie Boulet, Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, Region of Mauricie (formerly Minister of Transport)
- Sam Hamad, Minister of Transport and Quebec City region (formerly Employment and Social Solidarity, and Labour)
- Robert Dutil, Minister of Public Security (was Revenue minister. takes over part of Jacques Dupuis's portfolio)
- Pierre Arcand, Minister of Sustainable Development (was Intergovernmental Relations)
- Kathleen Weil, Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities (formerly Justice)
- Lise Theriault, Minister of Labour (formerly Social Services)
- Dominique Vien, Minister of Social Services (formerly Government Services)
Ministers that don't change
- Nathalie Normandeau, Deputy Premier, Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife, Northern Plan, Gaspésie-îles-de-la-Madeleine region
- Yves Bolduc, Minister of Health and Social Services
- Clement Gignac, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade
- Claude Bechard, remains Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Chair of the Comité ministériel de la prospérité économique et du développement durable, responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, Deputy Government House Leader (no longer responsible for Intergovernmental Relations and Democratic Reform)
- Norman MacMillan, Minister for Transport, responsible for the Outaouais region
- Marguerite Blais, Minister responsible for Seniors
- Pierre Corbeil, Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, responsible for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and the Nord-du-Québec region
- Nicole Ménard, Minister of Tourism, responsible for the Montérégie region
- Serge Simard, Minister for Natural Resources and Wildlife, responsible for the Saguenay-Lac/Saint-Jean region and the Côte-Nord region
- Christine St-Pierre, Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women
- Yolande James remains Minister of Families (loses Immigration and Cultural Communities)
