François Blais named new Education Minister in Liberal cabinet shuffle

QUEBEC CITY – Out with the old, in with the new.

Friday morning, Charlesbourg MNA and former Employment Minister François Blais signed on to replace Yves Bolduc as Quebec’s Education Minister, the province’s seventh Education Minister in less than 10 years.

His old portfolio is being picked up by Labour Minister Sam Hamad.

Global viewers may remember Blais as a former Laval University dean with a penchant for opera singing.

He sang for Global cameras during a visit to a seniors’ home in the last election campaign.

Many hope his will be a big voice in cabinet.

“He has to make his voice count, we need a strong minister,” said CSQ union president Louise Chabot.

That’s because the education sector is in the midst of several reforms.

Bolduc launched plans to merge school boards last fall and increase the number of students per class.

He was also toying with the idea of abolishing school board elections.

Blais said his priority is to first assess the situation.

“I’m very positive about this actual situation, not easy, we have to listen, we have to try to understand and to do our best,” Blais told reporters.

Premier Philippe Couillard embraced Blais and said he was a rigourous academic who will do well as Education Minister.

“I’m sending first a message of putting there somebody whose competency is recognized by everyone, who knows the education system inside and out, who also wants like all of us to make sure our kids get the best opportunity in life as possible, that’s his mission,” said Couillard.

Blais’ mission is also to cut bureaucracy, something that worries the education sector.

“I think that Mr. Blais has to meet us to share the result of the work of Mr. Bolduc because we don’t know about it,” said Josée Bouchard, president of the Quebec Federation of School Boards.

As Education Minister, Blais will also have to deal with teachers negotiating a new collective agreement and more anti-austerity student protests.