Caleb Nickerson
QUEBEC CITY Oct. 11, 2017
On Oct. 11, Pontiac MNA André Fortin was sworn in as Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification during a provincial cabinet shuffle in Quebec City.
The move came as a surprise to many, including Fortin, as he is a backbencher in his first term at the National Assembly.
“I had a meeting with the premier on Tuesday morning in Montreal and it was made public Wednesday morning, so really I had no forewarning,” he said. “Obviously, I was a little surprised … going right from the backbench to such an important portfolio, but I’m honoured to take on the role and look after transportation for all Quebecers.”

He will be taking over from Laurent Lessard, who will remain in cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Fortin had to hit the ground running, as his appointment came in the middle of a high-profile dispute between the provincial government and ride-sharing multinational Uber.
Late last month, Uber threatened to cease operations in Quebec on the one year anniversary of their pilot project with the government, due to stricter regulations proposed by then-Minister Lessard. The new requirements would force Uber drivers to have background checks performed by police, instead of a private company, as well as undergo 35 hours of training, just like taxi drivers.
Dozens of taxi drivers demonstrated outside of the transport minister’s office in Montreal after Fortin’s appointment Wednesday, urging the government not to capitulate to Uber’s ultimatum.
Fortin explained that he set out to clarify the timeframe within which Uber drivers would be required to get their background checks (eight weeks for new drivers and two years for current drivers), but wouldn’t back down on the proposals.
“My message was clear: our conditions will not change,” Fortin said. “These are conditions set by the Government of Quebec and Uber can decide whether to stay or go based on those conditions.”
On Friday, Uber backtracked on their threat, stating that they were willing to engage in “constructive dialogue” with the newly appointed minister and will continue to operate in interim.
Fortin said that though the promotion means that he will be spending more time on the road and in Quebec City, he remains committed to representing the people of the Pontiac.
“People in this region have issues that they want looked after and they want to be able to access their representative and I think that that’s especially important in a rural area like ours,” he said. “However, obviously I have additional responsibilities now that will mean that I’ll have to spend, maybe, a little bit more time in Quebec City.”
He said that working on a number of different transportation files throughout the Pontiac will be a help in his new role, pointing to the work on Hwy. 148 in Breckenridge as well as the Félix-Gabriel-Marchand Bridge in Fort Coulonge, which went to tender last week.
“I’ve got a wide variety of transportation files within my riding which will help me within my new function,” he said.
Fortin was excited to step up to the new challenges of the position.
“It’s a big responsibility, it’s a huge department in the Government of Quebec but it’s also a [department] that has a big impact on the daily lives of all Quebecers,” he said. “It’s a [department] where you can have a real impact on the quality of life for people.”
During the shuffle last Wednesday, Premier Philippe Couillard also appointed Montreal MNA and former Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil to the post of Minister responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers. The position had been vacant since Couillard became premier in 2014.