(Quebec) François Legault presented Thursday during their swearing in the 30 deputies who will form the Council of Ministers of the 43e legislature. This new executive council is made up of 16 men and 14 women, several of whom were ministers in the last term. The Prime Minister also announced the creation of a committee on energy transition, which he will chair, and which will bring together economic ministers, in addition to the president and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu.
Posted at 2:00 p.m.
Updated at 5:12 p.m.
In economics, as The Press mentioned a few days ago, Pierre Fitzgibbon now combines responsibilities for the Economy, Innovation and Energy, as well as Regional Economic Development. This economic “superminister” will also be responsible for the Montreal region, where the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) has few elected officials.
Eric Girard remains Minister of Finance at the start of his second CAQ mandate. This fall, he will table an economic update (a “mini-budget” in the jargon) to allow the government to send checks of $400 to $600 to nearly 6.4 million Quebecers, struggling with the consequences of inflation. Sonia LeBel remains for her part president of the Treasury Board, while some saw her in Education.
It is rather the former PQ minister and former radio host, Bernard Drainville, who becomes Minister of Education. The MP for Lévis will be supported by former journalist Pascale Déry at Higher Education.
Mr. Drainville succeeds Jean-François Roberge, who held this position throughout the CAQ’s first mandate. The latter now combines the functions of Minister for the French Language, Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie, Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions, Minister responsible for Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Information and Minister responsible of secularism.
As expected, Christian Dubé remains Minister of Health, while the Legault government promises to “rebuild” the system. He will be accompanied by Lionel Carmant, Minister responsible for Social Services, and Sonia Bélanger, Minister for Health and Seniors.
Guilbault will defend the third link
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault is the new Minister of Transport.
Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault, who held the post of Minister of Public Security during the last mandate, becomes Minister of Transport. She will have to defend the project for a third highway between Quebec and Lévis, but also manage the road chaos on the roads of Montreal, with major renovations in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel which is disrupting the route of many motorists.
François Bonnardel, who was in Transport, becomes Minister of Public Security. Chantal Rouleau is also changing portfolios, becoming Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, as does Jonatan Julien, who is now Minister responsible for Infrastructure. Christopher Skeete becomes Minister Delegate for the Economy and Minister responsible for the Fight against Racism.
Several other ministers keep functions similar to what they held during the last mandate. This is the case, among others, of Simon Jolin-Barrette, Minister of Justice and Government House Leader, Andrée Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Isabelle Charest, Minister responsible for Sports, Recreation and the Outdoors, by Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism, by André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, by Ian Lafrenière, Minister responsible for Relations with First Nations and the Inuit, by Jean Boulet, Minister of Labor and Éric Caire, Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital.
Benoît Charette remains Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change. However, he adds to his arc the responsibilities of Wildlife and Parks.
new faces
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Former president of the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ), Suzanne Roy becomes Minister of Families.
With 90 Caquiste deputies in Parliament and several new elected officials, François Legault finally appointed nine recruits to minister positions. This is the case of the former president of the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ), Suzanne Roy, whom many saw in Municipal Affairs, but who becomes Minister of Families. She thus replaces Mathieu Lacombe, who for his part becomes Minister of Culture and Communications. Nathalie Roy, who held these positions in the last mandate, is approached to become the next President of the National Assembly.
Christine Fréchette becomes Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration. Kateri Champagne Jourdain, who is making history by becoming the first member of a First Nation to sit on the executive council, is Minister of Employment.
Former Radio-Canada journalist Martine Biron serves as Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie and Minister responsible for the Status of Women. France-Élaine Duranceau, qualified as an expert in the real estate sector, is Minister responsible for Housing. Maïté Blanchette Vézina is Minister of Natural Resources and Forests.
By forming his new Council of Ministers, François Legault excluded from the executive council Pierre Dufour, who was Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, as well as Lucie Lecours, who held the position of Minister Delegate for the Economy.
Priority to the energy transition
In his speech, delivered in a jam-packed Red Room, Prime Minister Legault indicated that his priority remained education, as in 2018. But he also emphasized the issue of energy transition and environment, as it promises to meet Quebec’s 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
A few days ago, the president and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu, issued an ultimatum to the Legault government, threatening to leave office if the CAQ forced the state-owned company to bet on energy-intensive economic projects in detriment of those favorable to the environment. La Presse also reported that Mr.me Brochu had tense discussions last spring with Pierre Fitzgibbon, who is now responsible for Energy.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The President and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu
Wanting to avoid the crisis, François Legault announced Thursday the creation of a committee which he will chair on the subject of energy transition and on which Mr.me Brochu, Mr. Fitzgibbon, Finance Minister Eric Girard and Minister responsible for First Nations and Inuit Relations, Ian Lafrenière.
“Resistance and tension are normal in our profession, but in the end, the important thing is that the current passes”, wrote with humor on Twitter, at the end of the afternoon, the corporate account of ‘Hydro-Quebec.