As soon as the mammoth bill by Minister Christian Dubé was tabled “aimed at making the health and social services system more efficient”, the Liberal Party of Quebec and Quebec solidaire shot each other royally in the foot.
By releasing their swear words without even having read the 302 pages of Bill 15, to use the mythical expression of Jacques Parizeau, the two opposition parties have self-bananized like pros.
In reaction to the possible creation of the Health Quebec agency, Liberal leader Marc Tanguay, proud of his arrow, called Christian Dubé a “mini-minister”. Opting for the beef effect, the parliamentary leader of QS Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois accused Mr. Dubé of realizing the wet dream of Gaétan Barrette, the hated former Minister of Health.
Because they spread it too thickly, too quickly, they ended up with Gros-Jean as before. The art of counting for one’s own purposes.
One exception: Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. On Friday, the PQ leader announced his intention to “collaborate” with the government in order to “improve” Bill 15.
He says he promises a “collaborative and constructive attitude in the parliamentary committee to bring concrete proposals that come from the population and the staff of the network”. The art of counting for the right purpose.
Patience at end
Faced with the serious dysfunctions of their health network, the patience of Quebecers is worn out. So much so that it also risks hitting the liberals and those in solidarity if they are not inspired by the constructive but also lucid approach of PSPP. GND’s mea culpa on Tuesday is indeed welcome.
The reason is simple. In Quebec, the health issues are immense. The network cracks everywhere. Access to a family doctor is still too difficult.
Getting a quick follow-up with a medical specialist or surgery within a reasonable time frame is less likely than winning the lottery.
The supply of accommodation resources for seniors with a loss of autonomy or for adults with intellectual disabilities is unworthy of an advanced society.
The shift awaited for 20 years towards accessible and quality home care has not even begun. Palliative care is increasingly the poor cousin of end-of-life care. Caregivers feel orphaned by former minister Marguerite Blais.
Dehumanisation
The dehumanization of the network also worries more than ever. The private sector is gaining more and more ground. However, its only two attributes are to vampirize the public network and promote the health of the wealthiest to the detriment of the majority of the population.
In short, the list of deficiencies in the public network is as long as the endless wait in our emergency rooms.
But beware. It is because the stakes are multiple that the opposition parties, just like civil society, while opening up to a more constructive debate, must not for all that abdicate their critical spirit.
Bill 15 casts a very wide net. It therefore commands that we can clearly identify what is good about it, but also what is less good or bad. It is only at this price, if Minister Dubé puts himself in “listening” mode as he promises, that it can be truly improved.
This is why, in this long debate which is barely beginning, the effects of togas and rants will not pass the ramp. Nor, at the other extreme, a complacent lack of critical thinking.