Québec solidaire wants Lionel Carmant to resign
Posted October 31, 2024 9:18 am.
Québec solidaire (QS) is following the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) and demanding that Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant resign from his position.
Carmant has been in turmoil since media reports revealed that educators had sexual relations with under-age residents at the Cité-des-Prairies rehabilitation centre in Montreal, for troubled youth.
Other cases of sexual misconduct also allegedly took place in Laval and Montérégie, according to La Presse.
And the DPJ Mauricie—Centre-du-Québec is being placed under guardianship due to poor management of children’s files who were placed for adoption without a complete assessment.
On Thursday, QS MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard said that Carmant was no longer the right man for the job and that he had to resign. He said he had previously discussed it with the minister, out of respect for him.
“Carmant did not demonstrate the necessary urgency this week. I did not feel that he was shaken enough,” said Cliche-Rivard in a press scrum at the National Assembly.
The PLQ already called for Carmant’s resignation on Tuesday, whereas Premier François Legault said that he had “total confidence” in him and the minister said he would not step down.
On Wednesday, the government appointed Lesley Hill, a former Laurent commissioner as the national director of youth protection, replacing Catherine Lemay, who resigned on Monday – at Carmant’s request.
The minister and his new national director will hold a press briefing on Thursday morning to explain how they intend to get youth protection back on track.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
