Legault getting sensitive doctor data through emergency powers is 'authoritarian,' Liberals say
Premier François Legault misused the decree power available to him in Quebec's state of health emergency when he used it to obtain information on family doctors, according to Liberal leader Dominique Anglade.
Anglade decried what she called an abuse of power on Thursday after Health Minister Christian Dubé admitted his government had obtained sensitive data on doctors, thanks in part to the state of emergency.
"We are facing an abuse of power," she said. "This is a blatant example of what should not be done in our democracy, and it should justify lifting this health emergency."
Legault said this week that he wanted to share with regional health authorities the names of doctors who are not working enough to satisfy him.
He hinted that he would also bypass the family physicians' union, the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ), and raised the threat of penalties for a "minority" of doctors.
In a press scrum, Anglade criticized the premier for his "authoritarian" and "bulldozing" approach to the issue of negotiations with family doctors, which has nothing to do with COVID-19.
"The emergency decree allows extraordinary powers in an extraordinary situation. Here the premier, François Legault, decided to use the decree to obtain information," she said.
"He shouldn't be using that information the way he does, and that's why I'm saying it's an abuse of power," she said.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) said, for its part, that it is thinking of appealing to the Ethics Commissioner to get that office to shed light on the way in which the information on the doctors was obtained.
"There can be a drift if we use the law on health measures to circumvent the regular laws in a negotiation process," warned the PQ's parliamentary leader, Joël Arseneau.
Quebec Solidaire spokesperson Manon Massé reiterated her demand for the Legault government to adopt a transitional law to help it get out of the state of health emergency.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 28, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.