Eliminating the anticipated $1.5 billion health care deficit is ‘non-negotiable,’ says Dubé

Health Minister Christian Dubé at question period on Nov. 26, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

Eliminating the anticipated $1.5 billion health care deficit this year is "non-negotiable."

That's what Health Minister Christian Dubé told journalists during a news scrum at the National Assembly on Thursday.

He was clarifying a statement he had made to the daily La Presse, in which he said he would be "much more accommodating" with health establishments that exceed their budgets because of an increase in demand for care.

Conversely, he would be less so with establishments that mismanaged their administrative expenses, he suggested to the daily.

He corrected this in a press scrum.

"No, what I said was that we have to find all the means necessary to meet the commitment we have made. We understand that it's difficult with the increase in demand, (...) but we're going to respect our budgets," he declared.

"This is non-negotiable and has been from the start," he added.

On Thursday, the Official Opposition said it feared the impact of the major clean-up of institutional spending.

"The Coalition avenir Québec's health record is a disaster. And what is the government announcing? Cuts," said Liberal MNA André Fortin during the question period.

Among other things, he deplored the reduction in working hours in CHSLDs and the suspension of job postings for nurses.

"How is cutting nursing positions going to help him catch up on surgery?" he asked.

Québec solidaire MNA Vincent Marissal pointed out that in the past week, "330 positions have been abolished in Chaudière-Appalaches, 565 positions at the CISSS de Laval and 500 at the CISSS Montérégie-Est."

"The positions that were set aside (...) were vacant. We did not lay off any staff," said Dubé.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 28, 2024.