Quebec elected officials pleaded for appeasement on Friday, on the eve of a planned demonstration in Montreal and in the context where several demonstrators are agitated on social networks.
Liberal health spokesperson Monsef Derraji said in a press briefing that he understood that Quebecers wanted to express their fatigue. But “no one is going to win if there is an escalation of violence,” he said.
The deputy appealed for calm and caution, a few minutes before the start of his interpellation with the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, on the question of the management of the pandemic.
An interpellation on Friday is an opportunity for opposition MNAs to question, for two hours in the Blue Room, a minister on an issue of their choice.
The parliamentary leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Joël Arseneau, argued that it was possible to debate these things “in a serious and rigorous way”.
“Will we be better prepared […] to a future pandemic? What conclusions can we draw? Is it normal […] not to do a post mortem on what happened? he asked.
Mr. Arseneau declared that it was generally necessary “to avoid adding oil to the fire, to stigmatize certain layers of the population”, in order to rather “open the dialogue”.
Upon his arrival, Minister Dubé said he understood the “grouch” of Quebecers and respected their right to demonstrate. However, one must “also respect others; that’s just what I would have to say,” he said.
He recalled that his government had presented a deconfinement plan this week, which will lead to the lifting of most health measures on March 14.
“I am very happy to see the reception we had of the deconfinement plan. Quebecers are happy. »
No calm in the Blue Room
Mr. Dubé suggested that for him, it was important in the current context to remain “positive”. He criticized the official opposition for having chosen the wrong question.
The title of the inquiry reads as follows: “Lack of anticipation, inconsistency and about-face: Quebecers bear the brunt of the management of the COVID-19 pandemic by the CAQ government”.
“The member for Nelligan must assume his choice of words,” said Mr. Dubé. I hope in the next few minutes that we will be able to see a change in tone.
“Quebecers need good news […] and I wish the oppositions had taken a different approach with a much more positive review. »
He then repeated a line from the press, according to which the oppositions “endorse people who threaten to take up arms against health instructions, by insinuating that it would be a little the fault of the government”.
The day before, some had suggested that governments were partly responsible for the high social tensions.
Mr. Dubé was asked to withdraw his remarks, which he did, adding however that he withdrew them but that he meant them.
The spokesperson for Quebec solidaire (QS) in health, Vincent Marissal, confided that this exchange had made him “emotional” and that the minister’s remarks were “not chic”.
“There is no one here who is going to tell me that I encourage fomentation and the taking up of arms. […] I find that we are really the other side of the line, ”he fumed.
“When we take criticism for attacks, we thumb our noses at democracy, we move away from it. »
Minister Dubé apologizes
At the very end of the session, Mr. Dubé acknowledged that his remarks — the very ones made the day before by Premier François Legault — had been inappropriate and he apologized.
“If my words were hurtful, it was not my intention,” he said. I apologize. I think it’s important for Quebecers to see that we’re going to work together to get out of this damn pandemic. »
He also acknowledged that the management of the pandemic had not been “perfect”, but that work would continue in view of a possible sixth wave.