Quebec’s specialist doctors introduce pressure tactics in negotiations with government
Quebec’s federation of specialist doctors, which goes by the acronym FMSQ, is introducing new pressure tactics in their negotiations with the provincial government.
The pressure tactics include refusing to offer training related to the Dossier santé numérique, and refusing certain “administrative tasks”, among other measures, according to Radio-Canada.
Quebec is offering specialist physicians an 11 per cent pay increase, while their federation is demanding a 14.5 per cent increase, including bonuses for certain performance metrics.
“Our patience is wearing thin,” wrote FMSQ President Dr. Vincent Oliva in a memo sent to members Friday. “To improve access to specialized care, physicians must be given the adequate resources to do their work. Specialized medicine must be valued.”
Outgoing Premier François Legault called the pay demands “truly unreasonable”. Treasury Board President France-Élaine Duranceau said that while family physicians recently received a pay increase of 14.5 per cent (with certain performance bonuses), the pay gap is intended to make family medicine more attractive as a profession.
CAQ removes abortion article from proposed constitution after criticism
Reacting to pressure from women’s groups and other advocates, the CAQ government has backed off on including references to abortion rights in its proposed constitution.
Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, in an op-ed for the Journal de Montréal, wrote that the decision to remove article 29, which references “a woman’s right to an abortion”, was not an easy one. He said that he was concerned with the rollback of such rights in places like the United States, and wanted to strengthen protections in the province.
“I remain convinced, as do many others, that Quebec is not immune to the possibility that women’s rights will one day be called into question,” he wrote.
Critics have argued that the right is already protected, and putting it into law would open it up to legal challenges. This also isn’t the first time the CAQ has tried to create such a law, as minister Martine Biron attempted to do so in 2023, before backing down amidst similar criticisms.
Dr. Geneviève Bois, president of the Quebec College of Family Physicians, told the Journal that she was relieved by the news but was frustrated at the time spent re-litigating the issue.
“The crux of the matter isn’t the right, it’s really access,” she said, pointing out that many women are still held back by logistical, financial, and informational barriers to abortion.
Rizqy deemed too risky for Quebec Liberals
Quebec Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy will remain an independent after her former party, the Quebec Liberals, voted to uphold her suspension in a caucus meeting last week, the Montreal Gazette reported.
Rizqy was booted from the party in early December by then-leader Pablo Rodriguez, after she fired her chief of staff Geneviève Hinse, a close associate of his. While Rizqy alleges that her former employee was using public funds for partisan purposes, and had lied to her, Hinse has filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit denying the allegations.
Newly elected Liberal leader Charles Milliard, in his first week on the job, said that the party’s 18-member caucus decided to uphold the suspension due to the ongoing litigation.
Rizqy’s husband Gregory Kelley continues to sit as a Liberal MNA, and he paid homage to her work in the National Assembly.
“I will be able to tell my children that their dad sat with one of the best legislators in Quebec’s history,” he said.
Prior to the crisis in the party, Rizqy had previously announced that she would not be seeking re-election in the fall to spend more time with her young family.
