QUEBEC CITY -- Premier François Legault must testify at the coroner's inquest into the thousands of deaths that have occurred in long-term care facilities, insists Dominique Anglade.
The leader of the official opposition denounced Tuesday a "cover-up operation." She was indignant about the vagueness surrounding the inspection reports that would have been made in CHSLDs at the height of the crisis.
"Last week, we were told that no report had been made. Today, we learn that not only do the reports exist, but that they have been transmitted."
"These contradictions are the direct responsibility of the premier's office," she said in a press conference at the National Assembly.
The parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, said he would leave it up to the coroner to call the witnesses she wishes to hear.
But one thing is certain, he said, "someone somewhere is not telling the whole truth." He believes that Quebecers are still in total "darkness" about the death toll in the CHSLDs.
"There are thousands of seniors who have died. This is not a detail," he said.
On Tuesday, the three opposition parties reiterated their demand that the government call a public inquiry into the management of the pandemic.
"It is necessary because the government is hiding things from us," said Parti Québécois (PQ), leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
According to him, the government has "lied" to the coroner about the existence of inspection reports, which is "extremely serious," he said.
The opposition parties also deplore the fact that the government has chosen to focus these days on field hockey and the return of the Nordiques to Quebec City.
They point out that the Premier will also hold a prime time press conference on Tuesday on the vaccination of children.
"These two events are no coincidence," said Anglade. "It's obviously a blatant attempt at diversion."
"François Legault is a master of distraction," said Liberal Party House Leader André Fortin.
"Last week, it was the possible return of the Nordiques ... Next week, what will it be? It will be a commission of inquiry to find out if Alain Côté's goal was good?"
For his part, the QS health spokesperson, Sol Zanetti, said he found the government's "jovial" outbursts "to distract" from the coroner's inquiry "really inappropriate."
"In this context, I ask you the question: 'Is this government worthy of our trust or is it not rather a government obsessed with its image?"
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 23, 2021.
