Quebec to name Minister for Anglo affairs as part of cabinet shuffle

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard will name a minister responsible for anglophone affairs when he carries out his cabinet shuffle Wednesday morning, sources have told CBC News.

The addition is a response to a longtime demand from community groups representing English speakers.

Although the current Parti Qubcois leader,Jean-Franois Lise, held that position in Pauline Marois's administration, Quebec has not had an Anglo affairs minister since Philippe Couillard became premier in 2014.

2nd major shuffle

Couillard's second major cabinet shuffle since coming to power will take place while the ruling Liberals are still smarting from blistering byelection results in the Louis-Hbert riding in Quebec City on Oct. 2.

• CAQ pulls off upset in longtime Liberal stronghold

The Couillard government is also staring down the barrel of a general election, set to take place in slightly less than a year.

The premier may be hoping to revive his team's image with new, and perhaps younger, blood.

More than a third of his current cabinet is older than 60, according to Canadian Press.

Trying to turn page

The upset in Louis-Hbert, a riding held by the Liberals for 14 years, drew public complaints from two of the party's local Quebec City MNAs, who suggested it was one of the Liberal government's own initiatives consultations on systemic discrimination that had turned some citizens against them.

By bringing in new leadership in several key portfolios, it appears Couillard is hoping to set a new tone and quell internal dissatisfaction, as well as send Quebecers a message of his government's rejuvenation.

Withwork at the National Assembly scheduled to restart in earnest next Tuesday after a one-week break, fresh ministers will have only days to study their portfolios before the opposition has a chance to pepper them with daily questions.

Any MNAs without cabinet experience will also have to hone their skills quickly in order to effectively sell the Liberal government's record, as they gear up for an election in 2018.