Christian Dubé has undertaken to wean the health network from recourse to employment agencies, but the shortage of nurses remains glaring. The creation of the Health Quebec agency left many skeptical, but he led the debate on Bill 15 with skill. The agreement with the FMSQ has made it possible to reduce by 5,000 the number of surgeries that have been waiting for more than a year. AT-
To include a reference to the Charter of the French language in the Official Languages Act is something of a feat. Jean-François Roberge also ensured that the State set an example by imposing the exclusive use of French in its communications. B
Adjusting to Prime Minister Legault’s incoherent rhetoric on immigration isn’t easy. Christine Fréchette has the merit of having brought order to immigration and francization policies, but justifying the decision to exclude temporary immigrant workers from the calculation by rejecting the “planned economy” is not serious. B
Once again, Eric Girard had the relatively easy part, by redistributing to taxpayers the additional income generated by inflation, without having to make too painful a choice. B
The Minister responsible for Seniors and Minister for Health, Sonia Bélanger, has finally undertaken to contract private CHSLDs that are not. The expansion of medical assistance in dying is welcome, but his explanations for delaying the application of advance requests by 24 months were not convincing. B
François Bonnardel (Public Security) has run from one disaster to another with equal determination over the past few months. A notable effort to counter the rise in crime in Montreal. B
Ian Lafrenière acts as a firefighter. The idea of legislating to protect Aboriginal languages was poorly received by those initially concerned. He had to repair the broken pots by the member for Abitibi-Est, Pierre Dufour. Who will light the next fire? B
Jean Boulet survived his unfortunate statement on immigrants during the election campaign. The shortage of labor made a law to prohibit the work of children under 14 even more necessary. B
The outcome of negotiations in the public sector, on which the success of health and education reforms largely depends, remains highly uncertain. The President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, had to give up the “discussion forums” to which she had invited the public sector unions. The $12,000 bonus offered to teachers who delayed their retirement for a year did not have the desired effect. B-
Martine Biron has traveled extensively to revitalize Quebec’s international relations. His forays into domestic politics have been less successful. The Prime Minister quickly ruled out the idea of a “lift return” to the South Shore, in the Quebec region, to compensate for the abandonment of the third link. B-
The Minister of Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, presented in extremis the long-awaited bill aimed in particular at civilizing evictions. She seems more aware of the acuteness of the housing crisis than her predecessor, but the situation remains as critical as it was. B-
The Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, passed a bill that was needed against illegal tourist accommodation. Banning access to the Quebec City Convention Center to a religious organization that fights against abortion is a worrying infringement of freedom of expression. B-
After Pierre Dufour’s visit to Les Forêts, the arrival of Maïté Blanchette Vézina could only improve things, even if the fate of the woodland caribou remains uncertain. She promised a review of the system of mining claims, the number of which is exploding. B-
Benoit Charrette has established 60% of the measures to reduce GHG emissions by 37.5% compared to 1990 by 2030. The Blue Fund, which will be financed by a substantial increase in water royalties, is also welcome . The agreement with the Horne Foundry will not prevent residents from breathing air where the quantity of arsenic will remain well above the provincial standard. B-
The presence in the Council of Ministers of a first Aboriginal woman has symbolic value. However, Kateri Champagne Jourdain has created some skepticism with her plan to allow 3,000 asylum seekers to take up employment in the tourism sector. B-
Dreaming of Quebec’s independent representation at UNESCO, as Mathieu Lacombe did, is like dreaming of the “Grand Soir” that the Prime Minister derides. Requiring that Quebec must be consulted before the CRTC regulates the content of digital platforms was just as chimerical. VS
Lionel Carmant is unable to reduce the waiting list for mental health care, which has stagnated at around 20,000 subscribers, to such an extent that he wonders about its usefulness. Two years after the Laurent report, the situation has not improved at the DPJ, according to a survey of 750 workers in the Quebec region. VS
The Minister of Families, Suzanne Roy, had to defend herself from having fiddled with the waiting list for a place in daycare. Its promise to create 14,000 new places in 2023 and cut the waiting list in half requires a big leap of faith. VS
The Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, has passed a vast bill on land use planning and urban planning, but the government remains deaf to the repeated appeals of the municipalities, which are demanding the means to fight against climate change. VS
Jonatan Julien may be the Minister responsible for Infrastructure and the Capitale-Nationale region, but the decision to abandon the third link was made without him. He candidly acknowledged that the government could also change its mind about the transit-only tunnel if the “evidence” advises against it. VS-
Pierre Fitzgibbon was held responsible for the regretful departure of Sophie Brochu, who was worried about seeing Hydro-Québec be transformed into “Dollarama”. The development of the battery sector nevertheless testifies to its dynamism. He escaped blame from the Ethics Commissioner for his pheasant hunting party, but he still displays the same arrogance. VS-
The Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, always shows great composure, whether it is a question of assuming her responsibilities in the SAAQ fiasco or of saying anything to justify the about-face on the third link. Blaming motorists stuck in the freakish traffic jam on 20 was as ill-advised as playing puns while studying the credits. VS-
With his controversial appointments to judgeships, Simon Jolin-Barrette recalled the detestable era of liberal Post-it notes. His endless chicanery with the judiciary serves no one. He was the sponsor of the MP salary increase bill, but was absent when the vote was taken. Protecting consumers against planned obsolescence is a welcome initiative. D
Since his return to politics, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, has multiplied blunders and excuses, which culminated in his interview with the Duty, in which the teachers saw an insult. The addition of “classroom aids” and the tightening of French teaching are welcome, but the minister’s lack of credibility seriously compromises the success of his reform. D
The Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital, Éric Caire, has reneged on his promise to resign if the third motorway link does not see the light of day. He washed his hands indecently when the SAAQ’s digital shift turned into a fiasco. When is a redesign? E