(Quebec) Several ministers of the Legault government protested on Wednesday against a call for applications from Laval University which they consider exaggerated and even discriminatory, because it excludes white men.
Updated yesterday at 5:40 p.m.
The call for applications in question, for a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in biology, was spotted Monday by comedian Guy Nantel and widely criticized on social networks.
“Favor the hiring or the granting of research funds for under-represented groups, with equal competence, yes”, declared Wednesday the Deputy Prime Minister Geneviève Guilbault on her Facebook page.
“But explicitly excluding competent people because they are not part of a visible minority or because they are men is an exaggeration for the Quebec government. »
In its call for applications, Laval University specifies that only applications from women, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities or those belonging to visible minorities will be accepted.
The institution “cannot submit other types of candidate profiles until its representation targets are met, in accordance with the requirements of the CRC Program”, it is indicated.
The criteria for Canada Research Chairs that come to exclude qualified people in universities go far too far, according to Ms.me Guilbault.
“It’s quite surprising, also reacted the Minister of International Relations, Nadine Girault. We do not want to discriminate on one side, we must not discriminate on the other side either.
“In my opinion, the job offer should be open to everyone, to all good candidates. It’s a bit awkward, ”she added before going to question period.
His colleague, the Minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, Ian Lafrenière, suggested that it was borderline insulting for a candidate to be chosen because of his sex or the color of his skin.
He gave the example of his wife who is a police officer.
“My wife, to be told that she is hired because she is a woman, it drives her absolutely crazy, she hates it. She was hired because she is competent, and yes, she is a woman, ”he said.
QS refuses to condemn the university
While the CAQ ministers denounced the situation, the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, chose instead not to condemn Laval University.
In a press briefing at the National Assembly, he stressed the importance of having institutions that are more representative of society.
“It is important to have representation targets for diversity and then for minorities in public institutions. It is important that these targets are binding, ”he argued.
“But there are more progressive ways to reach those targets. […] What we were proposing to Québec solidaire was one hiring out of four until the target was reached for the organization in question,” he explained.
The Liberal Party of Quebec and the Parti Québécois, even if they said they were in favor of better representation, both spoke out firmly against the way of doing things at Université Laval.
“To automatically exclude people for candidacies, I don’t think that’s the right approach,” summed up Liberal leader Dominique Anglade.
“It’s completely unacceptable,” added PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. Some candidates with a certain profile are prevented from being assessed on the merit of their skills. »
Université Laval no different from the others
In a written statement it sent to the media, Université Laval pleaded that it was no different from other universities.
“Canada Research Chairs are subject to the equity, diversity and inclusion requirements and practices of the Canada Research Chairs Program.
“They are funded by the federal government. All universities must comply with these requirements. Université Laval is no different from other universities,” said publicist Andrée-Anne Stewart.
The goal would be to remedy the inequalities experienced by historically discriminated groups and to increase the representation of diverse researchers among Canada Research Chairholders.
In 2021, Université Laval awarded 27 CRCs, of which only 11 were awarded in competitions aimed at people from underrepresented groups.
The university hires about 1,600 people a year, and hiring people from underrepresented groups through the federal program accounts for 0.1% of its hires.
“We can therefore say that, in general, job offers from Université Laval do not exclude anyone,” insists Ms.me Stewart.
“They give priority, with equivalent competence, to a person from one of these groups: women, members of visible and ethnic minorities, aboriginal people and people with disabilities, when they are under-represented. »