Marie-Dominique Taillon, assistant deputy minister at the Ministry of Education, should be relieved of her duties by the end of an independent investigation into her management style and governance, demands Québec solidaire.
“I think she should be suspended until the investigation is completed. With everything that is happening, everything that I have read is still incredible, ”said solidarity MP Ruba Ghazal on Tuesday.
His Parti Québécois colleague, Pascal Bérubé, for his part suggested that Mme Taillon is, at the very least, “questioned” about his past decisions.
“Can she remain in office under the circumstances? asked Mr. Bérubé. “I don’t know, she hasn’t been convicted of anything, nor accused. But at the very least, could we, between now and the end of the proceedings, make special arrangements? »
The two elected officials reacted to an investigation by the Duty. This revealed on Tuesday that an independent firm is analyzing the decisions made by Mr.me Taillon when she was director general of the Center de services scolaire (CSS) Marie-Victorin.
Marie-Dominique Taillon held this position from 2018 to March 2022, when the Council of Ministers appointed her assistant deputy minister at the Ministry of Education.
The investigation of Duty reports that several relatives of Mme Taillon – including her spouse – obtained key positions or promotions within the CSS Marie-Victorin while she was its general manager.
The report is based on interviews with fifteen managers and executives of the CSS Marie-Victorin. They all denounce an omerta which prevented them from criticizing the decisions of senior management during the reign of Mr.me Taillon, under penalty of reprisals.
” It is not normal. The omerta which reigns in the schools has consequences which are very harmful on the working climate and consequently on the staff, and also on the students, “said Ms.me Ghazal.
“Omerta is everywhere and must be denounced. Bill 23 [du ministre de l’Éducation, Bernard Drainville] don’t answer that. The omerta will continue despite this structural reform when it is an extremely serious problem that must be talked about, ”she added.
Drainville stingy with comments
In an interview, Pascal Bérubé recalled that Marie-Dominique Taillon was appointed during the current mandate of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville.
“He appointed someone highly problematic. What is his reaction? he asked.
Asked about this, the minister declined to comment. “Mme Taillon had the opportunity to comment on the situation, we will not make any other comment for the moment, ”wrote his press officer, Florence Plourde, at the Duty.
Marie-Dominique Taillon was principal of secondary schools in Saint-Hubert and Greenfield Park from 2009 to 2016 before becoming assistant director general of the Commission scolaire Marie-Victorin in March 2016.
His presence in the post of assistant deputy minister at the Ministry of Education is today “highly questionable”, believes Mr. Bérubé.
“It is one of the great appointments of the Minister of Education who, let us remember, was a Member of Parliament for Longueuil [de 2007 à juin 2016]. So was she already a school administrator at that time and that’s how he knew her? he wondered.