Quebec Liberals name new agriculture critic

Quebec’s official opposition Liberals have shuffled their shadow cabinet and moved their labour critic, a former police officer, to the agriculture portfolio.

Dominique Anglade, who was named last month as the Liberals’ new leader, on Tuesday appointed Jean Rousselle, MNA for the Laval-area riding of Vimont, as the party’s critic for public safety and for agriculture.

Rousselle, the Liberals’ critic for labour since October 2018 and for “integrity in public procurement” since last July, has held Vimont for the Liberals in three elections since 2012.

Before entering provincial politics, he worked as a police officer in Laval for 30 years, from 1976 to 2006.

During the Liberals’ previous stint in government, he served as parliamentary assistant for municipal affairs (2014-16, 2017-18) and for public security (2016-18). Previously, on the opposition benches, he was the Liberals’ critic for housing (2012-14) and, briefly in 2014, for sports and recreation.

As official opposition critic for agriculture, Rousselle replaces Marie Montpetit, who had also served since late 2018 as vice-chair of the assembly’s committee for agriculture, fisheries, energy and natural resources, and as critic for the environment.

Anglade on Tuesday shuffled Montpetit, the MNA for the Montreal riding of Maurice-Richard, to the health portfolio.

In the Quebec assembly, Rousselle will face Andre Lamontagne, the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec’s (CAQ) MNA for the southwestern riding of Johnson and the province’s minister of agriculture, fisheries and food since October 2018. — Glacier FarmMedia Network