The storm hitting the new Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital worries the head of Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. Quebec must acquire expertise quickly, he pleads, because the management of computer data is one of the great challenges of the coming years.
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“The management of computer data, of citizens’ personal data, there, with climate change and mental health, there, that is one of the major challenges, not just of the next year, of the next decades. A healthy democracy must mean properly managing personal data, properly protecting people’s identity, especially digital identity, ”said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
On Thursday, our Parliamentary Office revealed that the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital, led by Éric Caire, is already experiencing a deep crisis: Deputy Minister Guy Rochette has been fired after a devastating audit. His management was undermining the main computer projects in Quebec. The ministry was created barely a month ago.
“We need to bring expertise back to the public on computer issues, we need more expertise to the public and then we have to offer good working conditions in particular so that the best minds in Quebec, on these issues, we are capable of attracting them to work for the Quebec state,” he added.
Ministerial responsibility
For his part, Liberal MP André Fortin launched a point at Minister Éric Caire, wondering “what was going on with the sheriff of La Peltrie”. He thus underlined that responsible for computer records would have been the first to “talk about ministerial responsibility in a monster mess” like this.
“Cost overruns, security issues, completely disorganized management. What would Éric Caire have said as an opposition deputy? He would have said: it does not stand up. He would have asked for heads to roll, for ministerial responsibility to apply,” said Mr. Fortin.
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon, also recalled that the minister had to take responsibility for raising the bar.
“Obviously, Éric Caire, does not seem to have a precise idea of what is happening in this ministry. And that’s worrying because we know that, in the past, there have been computer projects that have completely slipped financially. So we are asking the minister to take responsibility and take control,” he said.
Hit a wall
In an interview with our pages on Thursday, the minister stressed that he was actively working on a change of culture thanks to the creation of this ministry.
“The ministry inspires hope. This forces us, precisely, to do an introspection of our new organization to be able to meet expectations. What is not the case now, I will be honest,” he said. “Those who think that they will be able to continue to work as they did at the time of the CSPQ, these people will hit a nasty wall.”
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Reference-www.journaldequebec.com