Lionel Carmant: The White Bigot’s Convenient Black Friend

How the CAQ politician’s resignation and return exposed a man who will stomach racism, but not a threat to his own career

Lionel Carmant, to paraphrase what Walter Innocent, Jr. beautifully stated, you'd have a lot more credibility had you left the CAQ the moment François Legault said systemic racism doesn't exist in Quebec.

Let me remind you: in 2020, you co-chaired Legault's "anti-racism task force". You bragged to reporters you had personally been a victim of racial profiling—more than once—growing up in Montreal. Your own parents had "the Talk" with you. You said: "I don't know anybody in the Black community who hasn't been stopped without reason by police".

Yet you sat at that table and defended your government's refusal to even use the term "systemic racism." You called the term "divisive". You helped produce a report that deliberately avoided naming the problem while pretending to fight it.

Your family moved from Haiti to Canada when you were four. You built a career as a doctor. You had credibility. You threw it away.

You were silent when your colleague Jean Boulet said immigrants "don't work, don't speak French". A racist lie. Instead of expelling him, Legault made him Labour Minister. You? Nothing.

You were silent when your government helped force out Me Tamara Thermitus—the first Black woman to lead the Commission des droits de la personne et de la jeunesse. Her reputation was destroyed by a biased investigation that a court later ruled violated her rights. No apology. No accountability. You? Nothing.

You were silent while Simon Jolin-Barrette wasted taxpayer dollars appealing the Luamba decision to the Supreme Court—a racist crusade to keep random stops legal so police can continue racial profiling against Black motorists. You called for banning random stops in 2020. Your own recommendation. Where was your voice when your colleague fought to preserve exactly what you said must end?

The CAQ's anti-Black racism problem is well-documented. You refused to acknowledge it—while sitting at the cabinet table.

Then came Bill 2, the law on doctor remuneration. Suddenly, you had a voice. You called it "incompréhensible" and resigned in protest. You left the party—not over racism, not over Tamara Thermitus, not over the Luamba appeal—but over a bill affecting your profession.

Here's what that tells us: you could stomach systemic racism. You could stomach attacks on immigrants. You could stomach a Black woman's career being destroyed. You could stomach your government defending and normalizing racial profiling.

But the moment your own career—and your daughter's—was affected, you walked.

That's not principle. That's selfishness. You didn't enter politics to serve the public. You entered to protect yourself and your family.

Fortunately, Francois Legault quit as head of the CAQ on January 14, 2026—opening the door to a replacement. It came down to a choice between anti-immigrant demagogue, Bernard Drainville, and a Christine Frechette—whom up until that point avoided any controversial behaviour.

You cozied up to Frechette by endorsing her, and she won the leadership race. You were then rewarded with a cabinet position. Yet, she kept the same two racists, Jean Boulet and Simon Jolin-Barrette, as cabinet ministers. She then appointed Bernard Drainville as the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Maritime Strategy.

Frechette’s shown her indifference to issues affecting racialized Quebecers by allowing racists to be part of her cabinet.

But why should that matter to you? You got a cabinet position and the prestige that comes with it. In exchange, you’ll stay silent whenever the subject of race and systemic racism gains media traction and continue to defend your party’s racism. Like Legault, you chose to be Frechette’s convenient Black friend.

You're not a hero. You're not a friend to the Black community. You're a hypocrite. You're a sellout. And Quebec deserves better.

Russell Brooks is a suspense thriller author. If you enjoy reading his essays, please join the mailing list, check out his books and support his work.