(Quebec ) Despite the explosion in construction costs, Quebec has no intention of slowing down the deployment of seniors’ homes, a flagship commitment of the Coalition avenir Québec.
Posted at 11:39 a.m.
“I consider that it is not because there is an extraordinary situation that we are going to stop deploying places”, launched Wednesday the Minister responsible for Seniors, Marguerite Blais.
“Nobody could foresee there would be a war in Ukraine, nobody could foresee that the port of Shanghai would close… people in the construction industry thought that after the pandemic it would recover. I consider that we are making quite a story with seniors’ homes when there are 3,700 places missing for people who need accommodation, long-term care, ”she added.
The Minister reacted to the revelations of Radio-Canada that the resumption of seven calls for tenders for the construction of seniors’ homes canceled due to excessive costs will ultimately cost more. According to their analysis, Quebec would lose at least $44 million. Overheating in the construction industry and galloping inflation are not unrelated to these increases.
The oppositions accuse the Legault government of continuing to develop this flagship commitment of the 2018 campaign even if it has become a “financial abyss” and a “predicted disaster”.
“This project was really a mirage to make voters dream. But with all that, the CAQ made us lose four years, ”lamented Quebec Solidarity MP Sol Zanetti on Wednesday.
The leader of the Parti Québécois believes that the government is determined to move forward. « François Legault and the CAQ [se sont] boasted of being the party of accounting management and, when it comes to their electoral nonsense, there is no longer any accounting management, there is no longer any notion of accounting”, launched Paul St- Pierre Plamondon.
Liberal MP Monique Sauvé was hardly more optimistic: “It was a bet that was very risky and that the government lost. Bad strategy which means that once again, we have an explosion of costs compared to seniors’ homes, ”she said.
“Always limits”, replies Blais
Minister Blais said Wednesday that there are “still budgetary limits” to the project, but that the government has no intention of backing down or slowing down the construction of seniors’ homes. Quebec is staying the course on its commitment to deliver 2,600 new places in the fall with the construction of 33 seniors’ homes. The other 13 seniors’ homes are to be delivered in 2023.
“I can’t put a price on you, it’s not the idea to put a price on it, but yes, there are always limits,” said M.me Blais.
The case gave rise to heated exchanges in the Blue Room between the Member of Parliament for Duplessis, Lorraine Richard, and Minister Blais. Mme Richard hounded the Minister on the exposure of the costs of the project, asking her why the government did not invest these sums in home care instead.
The Minister said she was exasperated that the development of places in accommodation and home care were “opposed”, recalling that her government had so far invested 1.9 billion in its “big shift” towards home care. residence. “The member for Duplessis is very happy to have a seniors’ home in her riding,” said Marguerite Blais.
The independent member for Rimouski, Harold LeBel, also hounded Minister Blais the day after the Estates General on the living conditions of seniors, deploring that no CAQ member other than Marguerite Blais, who is the minister responsible, was on the spot.
In the latest Girard budget, the construction costs for seniors’ homes are set at $2.4 billion, of which $700 million must be spent in 2022-2023. Over five years, the operation of the 46 seniors’ homes will also cost the Quebec government $1.5 billion.
With Tommy Chouinard