Conservative leader Éric Duhaime has strongly criticized Deputy Minister of the Environment Frédéric Guay over concerns about job cuts within the department. Duhaime called on Environment Minister Bernard Drainville to take action against Guay, suggesting disciplinary measures such as sanctioning or dismissing him.
During a press conference at the National Assembly, Duhaime expressed his disappointment with Guay’s lack of discretion as a senior official. He emphasized that it was unacceptable for Guay to openly express his distress over the layoffs of approximately 100 environment officials, as revealed in a recording obtained by Radio-Canada.
Contrary to Guay’s sentiments, Duhaime argued that the job cuts were necessary and justifiable. He pointed out that the department had actually expanded its workforce by 20%, making a cut of less than 3% reasonable in his view.
Duhaime, known for his advocacy of reducing bureaucracy, criticized the François Legault government’s failure to follow through on its promises to streamline the civil service. Recent reports revealed a 2% increase in the civil service over the past year and a 17% rise since the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) took office, despite initial pledges to reduce the number of civil servants.
In response to these findings, Duhaime highlighted the disparity between the government’s commitments and its actions, particularly noting that far from cutting jobs as promised, Legault’s administration had actually hired more civil servants.
