It is difficult for the official opposition to understand how François Legault can keep Éric Caire at the helm of the cybersecurity ministry when the best no longer want to work for him. The criticized minister defends the powers of his top officials.
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Our Parliament Office has learned that bloodshed has been taking place in the upper echelons of the new Department for Cybersecurity and Digital in recent months.
“It’s very worrying, very worrying and alarming,” liberal Monsef Derraji said.
Several senior management resignations have been motivated by ministerial guidance that deviates from cybersecurity best practices.
There’s a lot of frustration, we’re told. Cybersecurity expertise in senior management has been siphoned off in favor of the state Mandarins.
“Officials don’t want to change their work culture,” says a source familiar with the matter. The opposition has criticized Eric Caire’s leadership.
“I don’t know what Legault is doing… once again to keep Mr Éric Caire at his post. There is nobody who wants to work with Éric Caire or in his ministry. The question arises: do we have the right minister? Do we have the means? Because ultimately it is once again about security issues, cyber security issues, i.e. a work issue, also a question of qualifications. And we no longer know what role Minister Éric Caire plays, whether adviser or minister,” said Mr Derraji.
Solidarno Haroun Bouazzi is also concerned.
“A manager needs two things: a vision and a good environment. He is currently unable to even keep the few entourages he has. For the rest, it’s very worrying,” he analyzed.
Cairo defends its management
However, while he continues to lose his best powers at the helm of his ministry on cybersecurity, Éric Caire argues that the best managers are civil servants.
“Is Dominique Savoie a health specialist?” Minister Caire replied to justify the appointment of his deputy minister, Pierre E. Rodrigue. “Our health minister is not a health expert and yet he is an excellent health minister.”
The leadership of Deputy Minister Pierre E. Rodrigue and his cybersecurity assistant, Lise Girard, is in question.
There are internal complaints that these are two professional civil servants who have no experience in the field of cyber security.
“The deputy minister’s job is not to be a cybersecurity specialist. I have 1200 people working in information resources. We have cyber security specialists. A deputy minister is expected to be a good manager and Pierre Rodrigue is an excellent manager,” he pleaded, assuring that despite the criticism there has been a real shift in the IT culture and philosophy in the Quebec government have.
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