Whistleblower dismissed: Quebec Liberals suspect political pressure

Quebec Liberal Party interim Leader Marc Tanguay questions the government on the SAAQ and the report from the auditor general, at the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, February 20, 2025 (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

The Liberal opposition suspects the Quebec government used political pressure to have a community worker fired after she reported a situation to the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ).

Geneviève Guérin reported irregularities at the DPJ Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec in 2023, and the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ) sided with her, publishing a damning report.

However, she was subsequently dismissed by her employer, Centre Pie, and had difficulty finding a job, according to a report in the daily Le Nouvelliste.

During question period on Wednesday morning, the Leader of the Opposition, Marc Tanguay, suggested that Centre Pie, which is funded by the Family Ministry, had been forced to fire the whistleblower, who was in the stands.

“Ms. Guérin claims that she was threatened with legal action if the Centre Pie was deprived of part of its funding by the Ministry for the Family in the wake of her public appearance,” Liberal MNA Brigitte Garceau said during the question period.

“We have indications that the Centre Pie was subjected to pressure from the government, which funds the Centre Pie and which led to her dismissal because she had sounded the alarm,” added Tanguay.

“The government can’t wash its hands of it. She lost her job because she did the right thing. The government absolutely must get to the bottom of this. What representations were made to Centre Pie? Why did Centre Pie feel so pressured that it fired the woman who did the right thing?”

Premier François Legault neither confirmed nor denied the claims.

He invited Guérin to turn to the Protecteur du citoyen, which, under legislation passed in 2024, can act as a recourse for people who have disclosed wrongdoing.

“I’m not proud of what happened,” said Lionel Carmant, the minister responsible for the Youth Protection Division, in response to Guérin’s dismissal.

However, he added that he could not intervene.

“We’re giving the example of a community worker in a community organization, who is autonomous. So she’s not someone from the (health and social services) network,” he said.

Carmant did, however, promise to meet with Guérin after question period.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French May 7, 2025.