Health Minister Christian Dubé remains optimistic about the adoption of Bill 15 on health reform by December, not ruling out the use of a gag order to achieve this.
“The most reasonable timetable would be to vote in November or December, followed by six months of transition, taking the summer to [s’adapter] and be operational in 2024,” Minister Dubé declared Friday during an event on the Partnership for Health Systems Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) in Montreal.
In August, deputies began again to examine the health network reform project proposed by Minister Christian Dubé. This bill, which aims to improve the efficiency of the health and social services system, includes 1,180 articles. “We have reached article 250. So, it is possible to achieve this in December,” declared the minister, adding that he had “good collaboration from the oppositions”.
Christian Dubé, however, stressed that 100 hours of discussions took place, which corresponds to the minimum duration required to allow the use of the gag. This procedure allows the government to limit the time spent debating a bill and speed up its adoption. The minister expressed his wish not to resort to this procedure, specifying however that he was not ruling out the possibility.
Take the necessary time
Eva Villalba, general director of the Cancer Priority Coalition in Quebec, judges that the use of the gag would be regrettable. “This is such a transformational project. It is refreshing. Let’s take the time necessary to ensure that we do things the right way,” she said, in reaction to Minister Dubé’s speech. She believes that it would be better for parliamentarians to continue, if necessary, to debate during the winter rather than rushing to adopt the project in December.
The new law will lead to the creation of Santé Québec, a new state corporation, headed by a CEO who will coordinate the entire operational aspect of the health and social services network. The government will thus put an end to regional boards of directors and will appoint general directors in all large establishments.
Santé Québec will become the sole employer in the network and union seniority per establishment will be merged. The Legault government also intends to force specialist doctors to provide more care to patients throughout the territory. They will also have to offer better availability for emergencies and accept unfavorable schedules.