Ignatieff's top Quebec adviser heads back to provincial politics

Michael Ignatieff has lost his top Quebec adviser and Jean Charest is getting an old ally back.

Jean-Marc Fournier has announced he will run in the riding of Saint-Laurent to succeed his former Quebec cabinet colleague Jacques Dupuis -- who's doing what Fournier did less than two years ago: retire from Quebec politics.

Earlier this summer, I sat down with Jean-Marc Fournier on a patio in downtown Sherbrooke, in Quebec's Eastern Townships. The former provincial cabinet minister under Jean Charest was in town to meet with a group of federal Liberals. Fournier told me that he saw this kind of visit to local riding associations as part of his new job -- principal secretary to Ignatieff.

Earlier that day I sat in a corner while Fournier was having breakfast with 20 local Liberals. He was fielding questions about Ignatieff, explaining the party's positions and sharing stories of his time both in government and the opposition in Quebec City. Afterwards, one of the local organizers came up to me and said that Fournier sounded like a politician, not someone who was now behind the scenes. I couldn't help but agree.

Hours later, when we finally sat down for a chat, I asked Fournier about possibly running for office again. He was dismissive of the idea, but then again, I asked him about running federally, not going back to Quebec politics.

Fournier says it was a tough decision to leave Ignatieff's office to go back to provincial politics. The federal Liberal leader told reporters (in French) that Fournier is "irreplaceable." But Ignatieff also says he'll continue to call him and ask for his opinion.

Fournier offered something valuable to Ignatieff: someone who knows Quebec and Quebec politics, and someone who Quebec Liberals trust and want to listen to.
 
And federal Liberals in places like Sherbrooke will miss having an ambassador of Fournier's stature in Michael Ignatieff's office.