Question: was the state of health emergency eliminated in Quebec, thanks to the enactment of law 28 on Wednesday? Answer: yes and no.
The state of health emergency has given a lot of power to the Legault government since March 13, 2020, which has allowed it to increase its effectiveness in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, through management by mandate and on the sideline of collective agreements.
In Bill 28, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, is supposed to end the state of health emergency, now that the worst storm has passed.
But in fact, Law 28 allows the government to extend the extraordinary power granted to it by the state of health emergency. At the end of the year, therefore also at the end of its mandate in October, the Legault government will be able to continue management by mandate, and award contracts by mutual agreement, without calls for tenders, which can be extended by five years.
This explains why all opposition parties voted against the law, described as camouflage and of deception : 68 elected caquists voted in favor of the bill, while 42 elected members of opposition parties voted against, even as they have long called for an end to the state of health emergency. They believe the government is using the legislative process to govern without sharing, without accountability.
For their part, the unions denounced authoritarianism manage by doing so.
When presenting his Bill 28, Minister Christian Dubé justified his position, arguing that he should keep the laws that allow him to use temporary workers and various vaccines, in case there is a new COVID-19 pandemic wave in the fall.
Mr. Dubé also said he wanted to extend or improve the contracts for the storage and transportation of equipment decided by mutual agreement during the pandemic.
Source: Radio-Canada
