Jean Charest had joined the Conservative Party of Canada in 1984. In the same year, he was appointed as Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the House of Commons. On June 1986, he joined the Cabinet of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He was the youngest person to serve in the Cabinet. He was given the job of Minister of State for Youth. Charest was re-elected in 1988, and served as Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport.