Speech by Quebec Health Minister interrupted by demonstrators in Montreal
Posted May 2, 2024 12:22 pm.
Last Updated May 2, 2024 12:36 pm.
A speech by Quebec Health Minister, Christian Dubé, was interrupted Thursday morning in Montreal by demonstrators with the CSN union who were protesting the place of the private sector in the health network, according to Le Devoir and La Presse. The newly named head of Santé Québec, Geneviève Biron, was also there – and both had to leave.
In a video shared by La Presse, we can see demonstrators in a room brandishing signs and chanting “No private health!”
Dubé was to deliver a speech at the First Line in Health conference, at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
CSN union members are said to be concerned about the message sent by the appointment of Biron, former head of Groupe Biron, a private medical company.
Événement sur la première ligne en santé, déclaration???????? pic.twitter.com/P7DbY6t6WD
— Christian Dubé (@cdube_sante) May 2, 2024
In a message shared this morning on social networks, Dubé said that “we respect the right to demonstrate.”
“Our objective with the Health Plan is to improve access and become an employer of choice. Let’s be clear: private healthcare must complement the public network, while respecting universality and free care,” he added.
Montreal police and the Sûreté du Québec say they were not informed of the situation.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
