Philippe Couillard set to shuffle his cabinet
Quebec premier wants to include more women and younger ministers in his cabinet
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard will shuffle his cabinet on Thursday, a move that is expected to bring more women and younger ministers into positions of power.
Couillard returned Tuesday night from an economic mission in Milan. He was to meet with his caucus Wednesday morning.
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Couillard has indicated that he wants his new cabinet to include more women, younger members and better regional representation.
A Radio-Canada source said the shuffle is intended to make his cabinet more "dynamic" and "open a new chapter."
Since winning a majority in 2014, Couillard has had to replace two ministers: Public Security Minister Lise Thériault, who went on sick leave last October and has not returned, and Education Minister Yves Bolduc, who resigned in February 2015.
Public Security was given to Municipal Affairs Minister Pierre Moreau in Thériault's absence and François Blais took over as Quebec's education minister.
Lise Thériault was also deputy premier. According to Radio-Canada sources, Lise Thériault could be shuffled out of that role.
On Thursday afternoon, one of the names circulating for the job was Kathleen Weil, who is currently Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness.
But by Thursday evening, sources were refuting that Weil would be named deputy premier.
Some analysts said that such a move would have been a nod to the anglophone community, which has recently been angered by Bill 86, the government's proposed legislation to abolish school board elections.
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The first public hearing into Bill 86 was scheduled for Thursday but was cancelled due to the cabinet shuffle, which is expected to take place Thursday at 10 a.m.
New dates for the hearings into Bill 86 have yet to be announced.
with files from Radio-Canada's Sébastien Bovet