My diaries (and critiques) of the health care system span three party governments: the Parti Québécois, the Liberal Party of Quebec, and the Alliance Avenir Quebec. Confusion persists regardless of which party is in power.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve lost count of the number of chronicles that have criticized the lack of structure, vision, and methodology that results in a lack of access, efficiency, and ultimately humanity. week.
A long detour to tell you that I’ve been watching Christian Dubé go through the “refoundation” of the Quebec health system. He introduced several bills to “rebuild” the Quebec health care system. He filed Bill 15 a few days ago, a titanic document: 300 pages, 35 amended laws, nearly 1,200 articles…
I don’t know if Christian Dubey will win.
But I want us to.
Over the next three months, during Bill 15’s study period, groups and individuals will be able to testify before a parliamentary committee to criticize it.
Hopefully these reviews will do what any review should aim to do: improve the material being reviewed.
But since Bill 15 was tabled, I have been absolutely appalled by the poor quality of public interventions by many institutions. Allow some to be underlined with a fluorescent marker.
Let’s talk about unions first.
Unions have a lot to lose with Bill 15. By wanting to reduce the number of union certificates in the network from 136 to four, only one of the network’s 35 employers will lose money, a lot of money. Small detail…
Yes, that’s what I’m saying: You can’t separate some of the criticism of unions from the financial risk that makes Bill 15 work. But it is wiser to say that the minister did not listen than to say that the minister did. Hey, we’re losing money!
About this, we should talk about Julie Bouchard, the president of (in particular) the Fédération interprofessionnelle du Québec (FIQ), the largest nurses’ union representing almost 80,000 employees.
Photo by Edward Plant-Freshette, La Presse Archives
Julie Bouchard, president of the Professional Federation of Quebec (FIQ).
When the bill was tabled at the end of private employment agencies (at the request of FIQ, among others), I interviewed President Bouchard on my radio show. To this day, if my life depended on it, I could not explain Julie Bouchard’s objection to this bill.1
Last week, M.me Bouchard was invited to comment on Bill 15 at Paul Arcand.2 He saw no good in that, though confirmed that his union was pushing proposals for solutions to the negotiating tables.
Paul jumped on the ball: Give an example of a proposed solution?
Julie Bouchard’s answer to: The Law on Professional-Patient Ratios!
(Translation: According to care units, a nurse should not have more than X number of patients to treat.)
There, the facilitator raised the obvious: a solution that is difficult to implement because there are no nurses in the network… a law will not bring them.
Mme No doubt he would have been well received at the National Conference of FIQ Delegates. But to the average citizen asked that morning — whether she was stuck in traffic or made a ham sandwich for the kid’s lunch — the union leader appeared to be crying because she was crying.
Parenthetically: I lost a lot of illusions in unions during the pandemic.3 There are a thousand examples of corporatism and treachery, but I will give this: FIQ sued the Govt.4 It did not provide its members with adequate protective equipment (there was a global shortage), but the FIQ protected its members tooth and nail without suffering any consequences for this choice of antiwax. 5 Even though it poses a risk to immunocompromised patients.6
Never forget this: Associations answer to their members, the dues payers. Not to the public.
Now, a few words about the protest in Quebec…
The Liberals and Solidarity competed in the swell to condemn the bill as it came out of the oven.7 We also realized that the parables were written long ago.
Quoting Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois from QS: Christian Dubois realized the “wet dream” of Madame President Gaétan Barrette!
(P.S.: “wet dream” is a… sensual dream.)
I quote from Marc Tanguay, PLQ: By creating the government agency Sainte-Québec, Minister Dubé will become a “mini-minister”, Madam President!
“Mini Minister”, “Sensual Dream”: Let’s just say it’s not flying super high, opposition’s criticism of Bill 15…
I didn’t include PQ: Paul St-Pierre Plamonton refuses to enter the race for the strongest films, although the best moments of the CKAC comedy festival are released without recycling felt flat…
The next three months will be crucial for the future of the Quebec health care system, during which Bill 15 will be examined and its “rollback” completed.
I hope we will hear solid arguments to improve this bill, beyond stealing the headlines of the day and traditional union stiff-neckedness.
