Bernadette Jordan has lots to do before the October election, says PM.Ottawa—Prime Minister Trudeau has given his new rural economic development minister her marching orders but they're virtually silent when it comes to helping agrifood reach its $75 billion export target set in the 2017 budget.The mandate letter for Bernadette Jordan says she is to create a Canadian Rural Economic Development Strategy, which will have an overarching goal of championing “economic opportunity and quality of life in rural Canada.”The job description does borrow an important idea from the 2016 report by Dominic Barton on developing the agrifood sector. In pursuing rural development, Jordan “will develop a whole of government strategy and bring together work happening across departments and programs,” Trudeau said.Barton urged the government to create a unit the Privy Council Office, the head office of the federal government, whose job would be to make sure that federal departments and agencies didn't being in policies that would interfere with achievement of the agrifood export goal.Just how much latitude Jordan will have to fulfill that oversight task remains to be seen.She's also to take action “to help rural Canadians better access social programs that meet their needs, such as finding affordable housing and childcare,” Trudeau said. “We know that Canadians living and working in rural areas face unique challenges, and that's why we created this new role – to make sure they have the support and resources that respond to their needs.“Whether it's securing funding for important infrastructure projects, having a reliable internet connection so their businesses can grow, or finding local childcare services, rural Canadians should have access to what they need to provide for their families and succeed in the digital economy. When our rural communities thrive, Canada thrives.”Jordan is to collaborate with the ministers of innovation, intergovernmental affairs, agriculture, infrastructure, fisheries, natural resources; tourism, official languages and small business “to leverage the full range of federal tools available” to assist rural development including infrastructure development, broadband programming, funding and commitments.”She's also supposed to support Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne in delivering the overall Canada infrastructure plan, which is generally considered behind schedule. She's also supposed to improve Canada Post services in rural and remote areas and the delivery of rural strategic investments by the regional development agencies.One contentious area for the new minister will be assisting with programs to encourage more new Canadians to settle in rural Canada. The problem facing many rural employers including farmers and food processors is being able to bring in foreign workers when Canadians aren't available.Jordan will receive assistance in all this with the appointment of a parliamentary secretary Marc Serre, the MP for Nickel Belt.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.