QUEBEC CITY -- Calls are growing for Quebec Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge to be reprimanded for his actions in the school air quality file.

His ministry tried to influence the Ministry of Health to believe that public health had validated its air testing protocol, when it hadn't, according to a report from Radio-Canada on Thursday.

The attempt angered strategic medical advisor of public health Richard Massé, who felt manipulated, according to emails obtained by the public broadcaster.

"That's enough," Massé wrote. "I don't agree with putting words in our mouths... I don't agree with writing that 'the process seems to be in order.'"

Even after Masse's intervention on Feb. 23, 2021, the Minister of Education continued to say that public health had validated his testing protocol.

For Liberal leader Dominique Anglade, "the farce has really gone on long enough."

She accused Roberge of having lied and then tried to cover it up by putting pressure on public health.

"It's serious. Now we have a cabinet that is pressuring public health to say, 'This is how it should be done,'" she said. "We've already come to say how the minister has failed in his responsibilities here. Once again, we have the proof... The premier should remove Minister Roberge."

CALLS FOR A PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION

The "sad saga" of ventilation in schools deserves to be dissected in a parliamentary commission, added Quebec Solidaire's Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, and Véronique Hivon, of the Parti Quebecois.

The latter has made an official request to the Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, so that MNAs can shed light on the management of the file.

Hivon asked that the main players of the "intolerable ventilation saga" be heard publicly before the end of the parliamentary session on June 11.

The minister "will have no choice but to answer for his actions, he will have to come and explain himself," added the Federation autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), which represents over 50,000 teachers.

On Thursday, the opposition remained incredulous about Roberge's decision to install computerized CO2 readers in classrooms at the beginning of the school year, "a year too late," according to Anglade.

"It would have been more appropriate to install these detectors during the first or second wave of COVID-19," said Hivon.

LEGAULT DEFENDS ROBERGE

At a news conference, Premier Legault once again defended the minister of education.

Jean-François Roberge has "consulted" public health without it "validating" the testing protocol, said Legault, for whom this whole affair is a semantic debate.

"Everything has already been said, there has been a misunderstanding on how to qualify the collaboration," said Roberge during question period.

--This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 27, 2021.