Amélie Dionne Takes Over Tourism in Quebec Cabinet Shuffle
In Quebec politics, a significant cabinet shuffle has just taken place, and it’s drawing a lot of attention. The spotlight is on Amélie Dionne, the Member of the National Assembly for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata, who has officially been appointed as Minister of Tourism. Alongside this, she also takes on the role of minister responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions. This appointment marks her first entry into the provincial cabinet, and it signals a major step forward in her political career.
Dionne, who was elected in October 2022, already had a connection to the tourism portfolio before her election. She had previously worked as a press attaché for Caroline Proulx, the outgoing Minister of Tourism. Since becoming an MNA, she has been noticed for her leadership on the Special Commission on the Impacts of Screens and Social Media on Youth. That commission produced a wide-ranging report recommending stronger restrictions, such as barring access to social media for those under 14 and prohibiting cell phones in schools. Those recommendations eventually led to policy changes at the Ministry of Education, including a ban on cell phones in classrooms. Her background and involvement in that kind of policy work are seen as part of what positioned her for this new role.
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However, the other side of this shuffle is less positive for one of her colleagues. Maïté Blanchette-Vézina, the MNA for Rimouski, has been removed from the cabinet. She had been serving as Minister of Natural Resources and Forests as well as minister responsible for the same regional files that Dionne is now taking over. Blanchette-Vézina had only been in those positions since late 2022, but her tenure was not without controversy. The forestry reform she introduced earlier this year drew strong criticism. Indigenous groups expressed discontent, even going so far as to block forest roads in protest. The Order of Forest Engineers also dismissed the reform as a “hollow shell.” Although she had been working on amendments to address concerns, her departure from the cabinet was confirmed with this reshuffle.
The changes don’t stop there. Across the government, Premier François Legault has been rearranging responsibilities. For example, Geneviève Guilbault is moving over to Municipal Affairs, while Jonatan Julien is expected to take on the Ministry of Transport, a challenging portfolio given the ongoing debates over regional infrastructure, such as ferry crossings in Rivière-du-Loup.
For Dionne, the appointment is both a recognition and a challenge. Tourism is a vital economic driver in Quebec, and the regions she represents carry a strong cultural and environmental identity. Her ability to balance local needs with provincial strategy will be closely watched. At the same time, for Blanchette-Vézina, this marks a setback, as her legislative work on forestry reform will now likely be carried forward by someone else.
In short, this cabinet shuffle brings both opportunity and disappointment, reshaping Quebec’s political landscape. All eyes will now be on Amélie Dionne as she steps into the cabinet and begins shaping the province’s tourism strategy for the years ahead.
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