OTTAWA - Former astronaut Marc Garneau is Michael Ignatieff's new point man in Quebec.
The Liberal leader has chosen Garneau, a "Canadian hero" and Montreal MP, to be his representative in the province.
Garneau ostensibly replaces Denis Coderre, who quit in a huff as Ignatieff's Quebec lieutenant last week after the leader overruled his choice of candidate for the prized Montreal riding of Outremont.
But Garneau is not getting the title of lieutenant and his powers will be considerably less than those wielded by Coderre, who was intimately involved in every aspect of party organization and candidate recruitment in Quebec.
Garneau's role will be primarily to represent the leader on the board of directors and administrative committee of the Quebec wing of the party -- as provided for in the party constitution.
Ignatieff said Wednesday he'll appoint a separate chief organizer in the province after consulting with Quebec party brass.
Insiders have said the organizer is not likely to be an elected MP, a move aimed at avoiding the appearance of conflict of interest that often swirled around Coderre.
Many Liberals have privately accused Coderre of using his position to thwart the candidacies of anyone who might threaten his influence in the province and to advance his future leadership aspirations.
Those accusations came to a head last month when he tried to block the political comeback of former cabinet colleague and potential leadership rival Martin Cauchon in Outremont. Ignatieff initially supported Coderre's decision to appoint a woman candidate in the riding but eventually agreed to allow an open nomination contest.
Garneau is a stark contrast to the brash, veteran Coderre, who made his reputation as a bare-knuckle, hyper-partisan politician.
The onetime astronaut is a relative newcomer to politics. He's soft-spoken, low key and unusually non-partisan in his approach to politics.
On receiving his new job Wednesday, Garneau resigned as chairman of the Liberals' Quebec caucus.
Pablo Rodriguez, another Montreal MP, was unanimously elected to replace Garneau.
