Rural Quebec, which increased its support of the federal Liberals in the last election, received an early instalment of its reward last week.
Rookie Quebec MP Gilbert Normand, representing a Quebec City-area riding with a large farm population, was appointed a junior agriculture minister.
The secretary of state (agriculture and agrifood, fisheries and oceans) will report to agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief.
He will have the main responsibility for relations with Quebec agriculture and the provincial farm lobby l’Union des Producteurs Agricoles.
Vanclief paid his first visit to Quebec farm leaders June 19, but his direct relations with provincial farmers will be hampered by his inability to speak French.
Read Also
Canola oil transloading facility opens
DP World just opened its new canola oil transload facility at the Port of Vancouver. It can ship one million tonnes of the commodity per year.
Normand will fill in for him at some Quebec functions, in negotiations with the UPA, and in the House of Commons when the agriculture minister is absent.
Normand was sworn into the ministry on June 18, a week after the rest of the cabinet was unveiled.
His appointment was delayed for a week because he was locked in a close election night race with the Bloc QuŽbecois candidate. A recount completed last week confirmed his victory by a handful of votes.
Normand is a physician in the south shore area southeast of LŽvis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City.
Agriculture, and in particular the dairy industry, is one of the three largest economic sectors in the area.
