The Ministry of Canadian Heritage has posted a mandate letter sent to new Canadian heritage minister Melanie Joly from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, outlining the expectations the PM has of the department.

“As Minister of Canadian Heritage, your overarching goal will be to implement our government’s plan to strengthen our cultural and creative industries. Our cultural sector is an enormous source of strength to the Canadian economy,” reads the letter from Trudeau.

“Canada’s stories, shaped by our immense diversity, deserve to be celebrated and shared with the world. Our plan will protect our important national institutions, safeguard our official languages, promote the industries that reflect our unique identity as Canadians, and provide jobs and economic opportunities in our cultural and creative sectors.”

In the letter, Trudeau outlines the top priorities for the ministry, which include restoring and increasing funding for the CBC/Radio Canada, reviewing how members are appointed to CBC’s board of directors and doubling investment in Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Other priorities include restoring the Promart and Trade Routes International cultural promotion programs and creating a free, online service for Canadian to learn and retain English and French as second languages. As noted in the letter, many of the priorities are directly drawn from the Liberal’s election platform.

Trudeau also made numerous references to the Liberal’s commitment to “real change” in government, a key message the party stuck to throughout the election campaign.

Leading the “real change” mandate on the cultural front is Joly, who joined the Liberals from municipal politics and the regional party Vrai changement pour Montréal, which she led.

Launched in 2013, the party was a direct response to Montreal’s scandal-plagued municipal government. Justine McIntyre, a current Montreal city councillor elected under the Vrai changement pour Montréal banner, worked with Joly in the party, and calls her “credibly authentic.”

“She is a person who inspires people to raise the bar. She does that by showing you she is confident you can do the work,” McIntyre said. “She has no problem delegating. She delegates to the people around her, and then inspires you to do things she’s not sure you’re able to do.”

In addition to her political service, Joly also served on the board of Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal from 2008 to 2013. She also sat on the boards of Regie des rentes du Quebec, the Fondation du Chum and won the Arnold Endinborough Award in 2010 for her involvement in the cultural community. The award, presented by charitable organization Business for the Arts, recognizes a business person under the age of 40 who has demonstrated leadership and volunteerism in the arts. She also worked for two major law firms in Montreal and was a managing partner in the Montreal office of communications firm Cohn & Wolf.