James Moore of B.C. named Heritage minister

With today's federal cabinet shuffle, there is a new minister in charge of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Josée Verner is now to be Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister for La Francophonie.

Replacing her is James Moore of Port Moody B.C., a radio broadcaster who became an MP in the 2000 election after working for a time as a commucations advisor to the then-in-opposition Conservatives led by Preston Manning.

Such a change always means the magazine industry (among others) needs to meet and brief the new minister on his file with some urgency; Magazines Canada will want to bring Moore up to speed, for instance, on issues of the proposed merger of the Canada Magazine Fund and the Publications Assistance Program, on Canada Post issues, including the plan for distance-related pricing and on general matters of the government's support of arts funding.

Moore holds a degree in political science from the University of Northern BC and, while in Prince George continued in broadcasting by launching his own talk show. He was the youngest-ever elected BC member of Parliament, at the age of 24. He speaks French and is not only young, but is considered a "comer" in Ottawa (in other words, for him Heritage is not simply a parking place).

He served as deputy critic for both foreign affairs and national revenue, transport critic and vice-chair of the Comomons transport committee.

(By the way, his dog's name is apparently Jed.)

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• Canadian Heritage releases confirming list of cuts to the arts
• Industry CMF support program cut by 20%; what else is in play? Who knows?
• Magazine funding overhaul delayed until 2010