Fourth aide leaves Premier Francois Legault's inner circle in recent weeks
Premier François Legault has lost a fourth aide in just a few weeks after his media relations director, Manuel Dionne, left to join the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ).
The departure follows those of Vincent Desmarais, Isabelle Lewis and Sébastien Lauzon, all members of Legault's inner circle at a time when the polls are particularly bad for the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ).
On Tuesday, Legault thanked Dionne, a "family friend," on social media "for these six years of facing journalists."
Dionne joined the CAQ in 2018, having previously worked for the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé (FIQ) and the Parti québécois (PQ).
"Are we seeing people jump ship because things aren't going well with the CAQ? ... That's a question some people might have," said Marc Tanguay, interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP), on Tuesday.
The premier's director of strategic planning, Stéphane Gobeil, was quick to "kill the rumour."
"No, I'm not leaving. I'm staying by François Legault's side," he wrote in a post on X.
Dionne's arrivel at the FMSQ, with whom the Legault government must negotiate a new remuneration agreement, "may just help," according to Health Minister Christian Dubé.
"When we're negotiating, the idea is to lower the climate of confrontation and promote communication ... If Manuel Dionne, who is an expert in communications, can help with that, I have no problem with it, on the contrary," he said.
At a press briefing, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon pointed out that by joining the FMSQ, Dionne was placing himself in an "uncomfortable" position.
"When you're in an untenable position, meaning that you have information on both sides, there are ways to exclude yourself from certain processes to make sure you don't embarrass anyone. It's called the Great Wall of China," he said.
"These are choices that have to be respected," said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire (QS). "Politics is hard ... I can understand that people, at some point in their lives, decide to take a step back."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 7, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton dead following prison attack
Convicted B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who preyed on women he lured from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to his rural pig farm, has died.
Biden speaks after Donald Trump's conviction in hush money case
A day after a New York jury delivered a historic guilty verdict in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee held a press conference Friday where he spoke publicly about the conviction and his White House bid.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Baby dead after being delivered via emergency C-section to woman who was in police custody
A newborn is dead after being delivered via emergency C-section to a woman in police custody.
How did Ontario's bankrupt 'Crypto King' travel the world on Scene+ points?
Newly released documents suggest Ontario’s so-called ‘Crypto King’ paid for months of world travels with $13,000 worth of Scene+ points while bankrupt – but how?
More counterfeit drugs seized, hot water boiler causes fire: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada recalled various items this week, including more unauthorized products, counterfeit drugs and bassinets.
Mediterranean diet helps women live much longer, a large new study finds
Women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet lived much longer than those who did not, according to a new study that followed more than 25,000 women for 25 years.
DND moving 1,000 employees out of Ottawa office building due to safety concerns
The Department of National Defence is moving approximately 1,000 employees out of an office building in Ottawa's Lowertown neighbourhood, citing safety concerns for its employees.
Solutions coming for piled-up bodies outside Newfoundland hospital
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador say they are only weeks away from a solution to move unclaimed human remains out of roadside freezers and into a nearby hospital.