Despite new revelations, François Legault, Marguerite Blais and Danielle McCann maintain that they were unaware of the extent of the drama that was playing out at the private CHSLD Herron before the story made headlines in April 2020.
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“Is there really anyone, among the 125 people who are here, who thinks that the Minister of Health and then the Minister of Seniors would not have intervened if they had known what was really going on at the CHSLD Herron” , the Prime Minister got carried away on Tuesday at the Blue Room. The case dates back to the beginning of the first wave: in the end, nearly fifty residents of a private CHSLD located in Dorval died after being abandoned in inhuman conditions.
The horror story, brought to light by a daily article The Gazetteon April 10, was such that Prime Minister François Legault came out of his Easter holiday to blame the owners of the residence.
In an email 10 days ago
But contrary to what Ministers Marguerite Blais and Danielle McCann have always affirmed since, it is not in the pages of the daily The Gazette that they were made aware of the situation, but rather in an email, received 10 days earlier, revealed Radio-Canada on Tuesday.
“URGENT: CHSLD Herron situation”, could we read in the subject of this email sent to the Minister of Seniors, her press secretary and her deputy minister, according to what the public broadcaster reports.
In their defence, the Prime Minister and Minister Blais pointed out that in this same email, the CIUSSS de l’Ouest de l’île assured that it was taking charge of the situation.
“So, we are reassured at that time, and we also continue to ask questions until April 10, but it is only on April 10 that we learn this abominable story, recounted Mme Blais. […] If I had known it was happening like that, you can be sure we would have done more. »
Resignations demanded
In turn, on Tuesday morning, the opposition parties accused Mmy Blais and McCann for lying. Believing that the proof is made, the liberal leader Dominique Anglade went so far as to demand their resignation.
“The ministers who are aware, who lied, all those who lied in this story have no business being in a government”, was indignant Mme Anglade, in a press briefing.
“Someone lied somewhere. I don’t know if anyone is packing their boxes today, but I invite people to reflect,” commented PQ MP Pascal Bérubé.
“There is someone who lied, that’s for sure. The question is: who is it? That, I do not know, ”reacted for his part the parliamentary leader of Quebec solidaire Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.