Liberal leader Dominique Anglade says proposal would help Quebecers live with the virus
Liberal leader Dominique Anglade says her five-point proposal would allow Quebecers to live with the virus. She says a unit called “Co-Vie” would coordinate the reopening of various sectors of the economy.
“So far there’s been no demonstration of the ability of the government to anticipate what’s going on,” Anglade said on Sunday while surrounded by members of her shadow Cabinet.
“And if there is somebody who is anticipating [this], tell me who it is. Because on Dec. 30 there was no proof of anticipation whatsoever.”
Anglade was referring to an announcement made the day before New Years Eve, which re-imposed a curfew and forced the last-minute cancellation of all further holiday gatherings.
“There [were] no recommendations, no written recommendations from Sante Publique,” she said, adding that there was no data provided proving the necessity to close restaurants.
The opposition urged the government to better communicate its intentions with the public and the business community in anticipation of post-COVID deconfinement.
“When you talk to business people, the key word is predictability. Restaurants want to have a date, a deadline to ensure the viability of their business,” said Liberal economy critic Marc Tanguay.
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: Quebec Liberal Party leader Dominique Anglade talks to Andrew Carter about her party's ideas for getting back to normal after COVID-19.
The party is also advocating for a clear separation between the role of the public health director and the premier’s office. Interim director Luc Boileau and his predecessor Horacio Arruda were often criticized for toeing the party line imposed by Francois Legault, while in most other provinces, they are two separate entities, which critics say provides better scientific independence.
Finally, the party is urging Quebec to better prepare itself in the case of yet another COVID-19 variant in the future. A long-term approach would require, for example, stocking up on medical supplies, testing kids, vaccines and air purifiers.
“What we are asking today is for the government is to have a clear plan for the next wave and to be ready,” said the Liberal health critic Monsef Derraj.
But the Quebec health ministry says they are “already in constant contact with the sectors affected by the closures due to the Omicron variant, as evidenced by our assistance programs.”
A spokesperson told CTV News that “creating a new structure at this time would only make things more difficult.”
“Dominique Anglade accuses us of managing by decree, but we haven’t heard from her what she would have done to stop the exponential explosion of cases last December. Let’s be serious...” the statement continued.
Anglade said she left a table attended weekly by the premier and opposition leaders, accusing the CAQ of using the discussions to improve the party’s image without taking into any suggestions into consideration.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.