Saguenay Mayor Julie Dufour says she has been the victim of intimidation by colleagues on the council and regrets derogatory and even offensive comments.
City councilor Jean-Marc Crevier, for example, insulted her in a Facebook discussion in the past.
“She is a fat woman with her behavior of not accepting criticism,” he wrote.
TVA News
The Mayor recalls that, as a society, while the issue of intimidation of local elected officials by citizens has been raised, the issue of “harassment and intimidation between elected officials themselves” has not been raised.
TVA News
In an interview with TVA Nouvelles, Ms. Dufour explained that the situation worsened when she refused to rejoin the local council after an ethics trial, at the end of which councilor Michel Tremblay was found guilty.
The mayor therefore regrets “disproportionate” reactions, “which are increasing and persistent,” she explains.
She speaks on Thursday to denounce this work environment, which she considers toxic.
“I'm thinking of young women in their twenties who would later like to get involved in politics … at least in the next few years, maybe in five years, in 10 years, denouncing the fact, as we do, Maybe have “We have better practices,” she hopes.
“The old way of doing politics, where there are murderous, insulting and denigrating judgments against people, I think today, in 2024, is unacceptable and I start by denouncing this type of practice,” she added.
In fact, many local elected officials have resigned from their positions in recent months due to the difficult working climate.
Sherbrooke Mayor Évelyne Beaudin, for example, left her post due to professional burnout.
In Gaspésie, the mayor of Petite-Vallée, Mélanie Clavet, resigned after receiving threats.
“It is worrying, I am extremely worried about what is happening at the moment,” lamented the mayor of Saguenay.
Watch the full interview with Julie Dufour in the video at the beginning of the article.