François Legault’s new ministerial team has some surprises in store but is part of the continuity. To attack this second mandate, Bernard Drainville will hold the reins of education while Jean-François Roberge inherits protection of the French language.
• Also read: This is what the new Council of Ministers will look like
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“The top priority of priorities is education,” the prime minister said Thursday as he headed to the lieutenant governor’s office to proceed with the formation of his council of ministers.
To manage this priority file, François Legault chose the former PQ player and former radio host.
Jean-François Roberge, who has headed the Ministry of Education for the past four years, will now be responsible for halting the decline of French. Like Simon Jolin-Barrette before him, the Chambly member is in the camp of CAQ’s ardent nationalists.
As Le Journal announced on Thursday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Geneviève Guilbault will become running back for the third link as head of transport.
Great challenges await Louis-Hébert Louis-Hébert, in Quebec City as well as in Montreal. When she is no longer in charge of the state capital, Geneviève Guilbault will still have to sell her project for a four-lane underflow tunnel to Mayor Bruno Marchand, still septic. The relationship between the two protagonists has been rocky so far.
In fact, Geneviève Guilbault and François Bonnardel swap jobs. The former transport minister will now oversee public safety.
Jean Boulet, who was expelled from the immigration service for making controversial statements about newcomers during the election campaign, will keep the ministry of labour. A mandate that suits the lawyer specializing in labor law very well.
It is the newcomer Christine Fréchette who inherits the delicate immigration file. She served as general director of the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce until the election.
As Jean-François Lisée’s former deputy chief of staff, she slammed the door in 2014 to express her opposition to the Parti Québécois’ Charter of Quebec Values.
The first Aboriginal woman elected to the National Assembly, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, will make history a second time by joining the Holy of Holies.
Mathieu Lacombe moves from family to culture.
Lebel guards the treasury
The pillars of the CAQ remain: Christian Dubé in the area of health, Eric Girard in the area of finance and Sonia Lebel in the area of treasury. Pierre Fitzgibbon gets the super ministry he wants, combining business and energy.
Pierre Dufour and Lucie Lecours do not return to the Council of Ministers.
More details to come…
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