The domino effect of a reorganization

Photo: Jacques Boissinot The canadian Press
The cabinet reshuffle announced on Monday by prime minister François Legault has surprised more than one.

Marco Bélair-Cirino and

Marie-Michele Sioui

in Quebec city

June 27, 2020

• Quebec

The appointment of Christian Dubé to the head of the ministry of Health, in replacement of Danielle McCann, has had a domino effect. Several employees policies were found on the straw, their political trajectory was suddenly diverted.

The cabinet reshuffle announced on Monday by prime minister François Legault has surprised more than one, starting with the members of ministerial cabinets in which records were progressing smoothly. “When things are going well, there is an impression of permanence. But, the next day, everything collapses like a house of cards, ” says a political advisor to the uncertain future. “That is the policy ! “

The bodyguard of Danielle McCann, who has sweated blood and water in order to halt the advance of the COVID-19, has been cashed to the setting aside of it for the benefit of Christian Dubé. His close colleagues believe that it makes the expense of the disappointing performance of the deputy minister Yvan Gendron. This administrator, she was appointed to his arrival in office in 2018, has been thanked on the day of the reshuffle.

Especially, Danielle McCann had worked at the rehabilitation of the ex-deputy minister of the liberal Dominique Savoie. However, she will not be able to take advantage of the expertise of this woman ” very operational “. Mrs. Savoie was thrilled with the post of the deputy minister Gendron and accompany Christian Dubé in his mission is the not the health managers.

All mps want to be ministers. And all ministers want to be prime minister.

— Bernard Landry

A ” pinch in the heart “

Danielle McCann was given the responsibility of Teaching in higher education — away from the daily stress of managing the pandemic, far from the cameras and away from the health, for which she had come in politics, she took care of the recall on Monday.

The ministers reworked regret most of the time have not been able to complete what they had started before the carpet is not disappearing under their feet. “There is a pinch in the heart when you’re not there at the end, when they sand the champagne,” said one of them to the Duty. “One must be humble in his duties. “

The elected liberal Hélène David had suffered the same fate after being made to withdraw the ministry of Culture in February 2016. Again, the minister responsible for higher Education appeared, at the option of a reshuffle.

Mrs. David quiet his title of “minister responsible” and made big eyes when he mentioned that it appeared to be subordinate to the minister of Education, Sébastien Proulx.

Out of interest, the ex-vice-president, was put to the task of dusting the québec Policy on university funding, which did not, however, in his mandate letter.

LeBel, along with their folders

To his side, Sonia LeBel enters the select club of presidents of the treasury Board, becoming the fourth woman to hold this post.

Its predecessor, the liberal Monique Jérôme-Forget, has sought to get his e-mail to congratulate this woman “very right, very structured, articulate, and calm,” that accesses, according to her, ” the most important post of the government.”

The former “iron lady” knows a thing or two about periods of recession and negotiations with the public sector. She was in the Finance and treasury Board during the financial crisis of 2008 and imposed the working conditions of the employees of the State with a special law, to “keep a billion for solving the problem of women,” pay equity.

In an interview with The Duty, Ms. Jérôme-Forget has advised its successeure to be “listening” — and even people who are ” against it “. “There is a political side of course, a partisan side of it, which is unpleasant at best. [But] the government, it has a lot of power. It is necessary to listen, ” she insists.

Treasure, Sonia LeBel will be able to count on the support of the chief of staff to Robert Dupras, formerly in the orbit of Simon Jolin-Barrette.

The lawyer has left the department of Justice with several of his folders under one arm. In effect, it keeps the draft law amending the mode of election, as well as the draft law reinforcing the protection of personal data.

Many wonder if the team of the prime minister to Sonia LeBel, who cause a lively impression since his election, the tower of the owner in order to prepare it to higher office. It is “a gesture of great trust,” attests a relative of François Legault.

The fate of several members of the entourage of Mrs. LeBel remains outstanding. Many of his colleagues have had the chip in the ear when the ministry of the executive Council was required, without explanation, the Great seal of Quebec during the weekend before the redesign.

Ce text is part of our “Outlook” section.

Relief to Immigration

The team of Simon Jolin-Barrette had anticipated, it, a ministerial reshuffle. But not too early.

Mr. Jolin-Barrette, which migrates from the Immigration to the Justice, had warned Sunday its close collaborators of the changes to come. By becoming Attorney general of Quebec, he realized a dream. “He was really happy with the redesign,” says his entourage.

The ministry, employees have breathed a sigh of relief. Immigration, the relationship of trust between the administrative staff and the policy staff was broken.

Wished to avoid new blunders, the bodyguard of Simon Jolin-Barrette reviewed each of the department’s communications prior to their dissemination, which exasperated more than one. The dismissal of the deputy minister Bernard Matte — today deputy minister of higher Education — had shocked officials.

The arrival of Nadine Girault to head the ministry reassures the teams in place. More than one official recalls with nostalgia the ex-minister Kathleen Weil, who has led the Immigration department from 2010 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2017. She pushed aside unless the minister “reformer” that was Simon Jolin-Barrette.

Alexis Aubry will accompany the young elected in his position at the Justice, as director of the cabinet. It quitterale office of the parliamentary leader of the edifice Pamphile-Lemay, leaving the tough negotiations about the work of parliament to its successor.

Will he evolve in the shadows ? “He has been accustomed to the light at the Immigration. Will get used to the shadow in which is situated, by the force of things, while the Justice minister ? ” asks a political adviser.

The minister Jolin-Barrette will have to maintain a delicate balance between the functions of the Attorney-general of Québec and of the parliamentary leader ; the reserve of the first function may be difficult to reconcile with the partisanship that demand the second. In the same spirit, many fear the shock between the functions of the minister of Justice and his intention to give a “kick bar” to increase the presence of French in quebec society.

Still hope

Mps caquistes keep hope of another realignment by the end of the legislature, in which they would make their entry to the Council of ministers.

If the first impulse of this redesign was the replacement of the minister of Health, will replace ministers in difficulty, could inspire a new shuffling of cards to the prime minister. “I have the impression that he is going to do another redesign, in, perhaps, six months. [It will be] smaller and will be less critical, ” predicts Monique Jérôme-Forget.

After all, “all mps want to be ministers,” said the ex-premier Bernard Landry. And ” all the ministers want to be prime minister “.

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