Quebec Premier François Legault is expected to move Sylvie D’Amours, minister responsible for Indigenous affairs, out of her cabinet role.
He has tapped Ian Lafrenière, a high-profile Montreal police officer turned politician, to take on the portfolio. An announcement is set for 11 a.m. Friday.
The expected shuffle comes one day after the premier voiced his frustration with D’Amours, saying he planned to be “more personally involved” with the file. When asked if she was still the right person for the job, Legault said he was “looking at the situation.”
READ MORE: Quebec premier voices frustration over handling of Indigenous affairs portfolio
D’Amours has faced mounting criticism in wake of the death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman who was taunted by Joliette hospital staff while she pleaded for help.
A series of investigations have been launched into the troubling circumstances surrounding the mother of seven’s death, which has prompted protests across Quebec and raised questions about how Indigenous people and communities are treated in the province’s health-care system.
D’Amours came under fire from the opposition for lauding the government’s efforts to implement recommendations from the Viens Commission one day after the death of Echaquan.
READ MORE: ‘You have very big hearts’: Husband’s message to supporters after death of wife, Joyce Echaquan
The head of the Quebec Liberals has called for D’Amours’ resignation, saying she was unfit to handle the portfolio.
Lafrenière, for his part, joined the political sphere in 2018 when he stepped down from police service to run under the Coalition Avenir Quebec banner. This will be his first cabinet minister role.
He served as an inspector who ran the communications department for Montreal police. Lafrenière is the MNA for Vachon, a riding on Montreal’s south shore that was once a Parti Québécois stronghold.
— With files from the Canadian Press