 Léger was appointed to the Cabinet in 1998 and served as Minister responsible for Family Services until 2001 and as Minister responsible for the War against Poverty from 2001 to 2003.She won re-election in the 2003 election, but her party was defeated by Jean Charest's Liberals.In the Parti Québécois leadership election of 2005 she was a staunch supporter of Pauline Marois over André Boisclair.