Premier François Legault introduced his new cabinet last week
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Quebec’s ag sector will have a familiar face representing it inside the province’s legislature.
Premier François Legault reappointed André Lamontagne, the MNA for Johnson, as his minister of agriculture, fisheries and food while unveiling his 30-member cabinet on Oct. 20.
Lamontagne won his riding with 21,944 votes, or more than 52 per cent of the local vote.
Legault had 90 MNAs to choose from after the Oct. 3 election, which saw him and his Coalition Avenir Quebec party sail to a comfortable majority.
Legault is confident his selection of ministers can deliver results for Quebec.
The election victory “comes with great responsibilities and I am happy to be able to count on one of the strongest cabinets in our history,” he said, the Montreal Gazette reported. “We will do everything to serve Quebec.”
With a second majority mandate in front of Legault and the CAQ, here’s a recap of some of the ag and food related promises the party made during the election campaign:
- Invest $175 million to increase Quebec’s self-sufficiency for food,
- Invest $50 million in sustainable agriculture to help with the adoption of related ag practices,
- Set aside $50 million to help young farmers acquire land, and
- Ensure contributions to Union des Producteurs Agricoles support small producers.
Other promises to Quebecers include ensuring full cellular coverage across the province by 2030, to cut greenhouse gases by 37 per cent from 1990 levels by that same year, and to have net-zero emissions by 2050.