Quebec Premier apologizes to agronomist who blew whistle on pesticide study

Jun 14, 2019 | 9:41 AM

Quebec Premier Francois Legault today apologized to a whistleblower who was fired after going public with concerns about the pesticide industry’s influence on public research.

Legault says the government will do what it can to return agronomist Louis Robert to the public service or compensate him.

Legault’s comments came a day after a report from the Quebec ombudswoman’s office concluded the Agriculture Department had not respected the law on whistleblowers and had let Robert down by publicly naming him.

Agriculture Minister Andre Lamontagne, who announced Robert’s firing last January, refused to apologize after the ombudswoman’s conclusions were published.