MONTREAL —  Lawrence Bergman is back at the Quebec cabinet table, but not as a minister. Premier Jean Charest appointed him caucus chair, a position that enables him to sit in on cabinet meetings.

Bergman, the MNA for D’Arcy McGee since 1994, served as revenue minister in Charest’s government during its 2003-07 mandate, but was shut out of the last 20-month term.

Bergman had made no secret of his shock and disappointment at being dropped at the time, when Charest had a minority government and appointed only 18 ministers. The organized Jewish community also let it be known to Charest that it wasn’t happy that there was not a Jewish cabinet minister, a tradition in Liberal governments since 1970, when Victor Goldbloom, also D’Arcy McGee’s MNA, was appointed.

Bergman, 68, a notary by profession, garnered more than 88 per cent of the vote in the Dec. 8 election, when the Liberal party gained a slight majority of 66 seats.

The current cabinet has 26 ministers, equally divided between men and women, fulfilling a commitment Charest had made of gender parity.

Compiled by CJN staff.