Murray Wood: Who's scary... and who's scary good?
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MONTREAL — Quebec’s professional order of physicians has called for an immediate suspension of a provincial law that ties doctors’ pay to performance targets and threatens punitive damages over actions that affect patient care.
In an open letter Friday, the Collège des médecins du Québec said it’s time to bring the temperature down between all sides, adding that its analysis shows that the law will have the opposite effect to what the government intends.
“The Collège urges both the government and medical federations to immediately cease the escalating rhetoric,” the order wrote. “The parties are no longer listening to each other, and this is the primary danger.”
Doctor federations have come out strongly against the law, adopted Saturday, saying the government is scapegoating physicians for the problems in the medical system, and that the heavy-handed approach will lead to an exodus of health-care workers. The government, however, says the reforms are necessary to improve access to care as 1.5 million Quebecers don’t have a family doctor.
The haste with which the government passed the law has prevented a proper understanding of its impact, the order says. If implemented as written, “it will result in damage to the health-care system and reduced accessibility.”
Doctors, meanwhile, are not reassured by the government’s multiple attempts to explain the law, the order says. Health Minister Christian Dubé’s latest attempt came on Friday speaking live for 90 minutes during the lunch hour on Radio-Canada.
The order said the new remuneration formula has created “persistent confusion,” and the punitive and surveillance provisions seem to only “exacerbate the climate and demoralize doctors.” Under the law, doctors could face fines of up to $20,000 a day if they take “concerted actions” such as deciding in groups of three or more to refuse to teach students or to leave the province.
“The College is detecting unprecedented signs of distress and discouragement from doctors,” the order wrote, adding that at least 125 physicians have completed the process to obtain the right to practice in Ontario and another 200 have started the process.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario said Friday its own figures show 148 applications involving physicians from Quebec seeking a restricted or independent practice certificate since Oct. 23.
The controversy has upended the government of Premier François Legault, with Lionel Carmant resigning as social services minister this week.
On Friday, medical schools at Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal, Université de Laval and McGill University said their students voted in favour of strike mandates.
As well, the federation representing medical specialists has filed a request in Superior Court for a provisional stay of the law, which will be heard next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2025.
— with files from Katrine Desautels in Montreal.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
