While the vagueness persists on the implementation of a new financial contribution that will be imposed on the unvaccinated, the liberal opposition accuses the government of improvisation.
The day after Prime Minister François Legault’s announcement, several questions remain unanswered, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade noted in an interview.
“It was obviously a proposal that was improvised,” she said. […] We do not know the effectiveness of this measure, we do not know the details of this measure. “
In making his announcement Tuesday, Mr. Legault said that a sum will be collected from unvaccinated people at the time of their tax return. Mr. Legault thus wishes to echo the discontent aroused in the population by the fact that half of the intensive care beds are occupied by unvaccinated people, which has forced the government to tighten health constraints.
Ms. Anglade wondered Wednesday about the means that will have to be put in place for Revenu Québec to be able to validate the vaccination status of taxpayers. According to the Liberal leader, the government should also specify whether one, two or three doses of vaccine are necessary to avoid the contribution.
“There are a thousand and one questions that should be asked,” she said.
On Wednesday, Revenu Québec directed all questions to the office of the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, where his attaché could not specify the modalities for the implementation of this new contribution.
“We are in the process of establishing the terms of this health“ contribution ”, replied Fanny Beaudry-Campeau. […] Full details will be given shortly. “
It was not possible to have more details on the timetable, Ms. Beaudry-Campeau limiting herself to saying that information will follow “sooner rather than later”.
At Mr. Legault’s office, his press attaché Ewan Sauves also replied to Le Devoir that we will have to wait to find out more.
“Until then, we won’t make any further comments,” he said.
On the side of the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), it was not possible to know how Revenu Québec could access the information on the vaccination status it has.
“At this stage, the RAMQ has not been questioned since the file is not finalized and the terms are still to be defined by the Ministry of Finance,” said spokesperson Caroline Dupont. Should the involvement of the RAMQ be necessary, we can then contribute to government work.
The Liberals are not against the contribution announced by the government. But other means should have been used before arriving there, believes Ms. Anglade.
The Liberal leader considers in particular that Mr. Legault could have imposed vaccination on state employees and those who work in non-essential businesses.
“I do not understand that we are not doing these things that have a direct impact in the short term,” she said.
The contribution in committee
On Wednesday, the Parti Québécois (PQ) officially asked a parliamentary committee of the National Assembly to examine the issue of the new “health tax” that the government wants to impose on the unvaccinated. Québec solidaire (QS) has also positioned itself in favor of such an approach.
“The imposition of a measure such as a health tax for the unvaccinated requires a real debate in the National Assembly”, underlined in a press release the parliamentary leader of the PQ, Joël Arseneau.
In a letter sent at the end of the afternoon to the committee on health and social services, he invited it to convene hearings, virtual or in person, “as soon as possible”.
“We believe that it is our responsibility to hear from people who are experts in public health, as well as legal and fiscal fields, social services, the community sector and any other sector deemed relevant,” he wrote. .
The solidarity spokesperson for health, Vincent Marissal, wishes as soon as possible to hear the ministers of Health and Finance, who have given little – or no – details on the health contribution since his announcement Tuesday afternoon.
“The government cannot write public policies like that, on a napkin, between coffee and dessert,” he said at the end of the line.
The elected representative of Rosemont accuses Prime Minister Legault of agitating a “scarecrow” and asks him to make public the legal opinions behind the measure. “We cannot support a case in the same way in its current form,” he added.