Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has declared his intention to eliminate Santé Québec if his party wins the election. St-Pierre Plamondon, accompanied by PQ candidates, made the announcement at Montreal’s Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, emphasizing the party’s commitment to reorienting the government towards its fundamental responsibilities.
“The Parti Québécois is dedicated to realigning the state’s focus on core objectives,” he stated, highlighting healthcare provision as a key priority. “Citizens contribute through taxes with the expectation of receiving essential services.”
He outlined his government’s plan to dismantle Santé Québec in order to reinvest in direct patient care. The funds saved would be redirected to enhance frontline services through local health clinics (CLSCs) and reduce surgery wait times.
Critiquing the Coalition Avenir Québec government, St-Pierre Plamondon criticized Santé Québec as a flawed initiative that has led to excessive bureaucracy. “We are facing an unmanageable bureaucratic entity. We must regain oversight of this Crown corporation and hold it accountable for its uncontrollable expansion,” he asserted.
Stressing the rapid growth in Santé Québec’s workforce from 760 to 1,300 in just two years, St-Pierre Plamondon highlighted the need for intervention. However, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger dismissed the PQ leader’s proposal as oversimplified.
“To suggest that abolishing Santé Québec, making minor savings, and resolving care access issues is a viable solution is overly simplistic and misleading,” she retorted, defending the Crown corporation’s progress and operational improvements.
Bélanger highlighted the consolidation of 30 structures, the establishment of a unified employer, and the promotion of workforce flexibility and best practice sharing as achievements of Santé Québec’s early stages, emphasizing its support for local facilities to maintain their strengths.