Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press Solidarity elected official Guillaume Cliche-Rivard at the National Assembly in October 2023
Thomas Laberge – The Canadian Press in Quebec City
Published at 7:53 a.m.
- Quebec City
After being refused access to the Yvon-Brunet Accommodation Center last June, the MP for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, will finally be able to visit the CHSLD from his constituency on Wednesday.
The elected representative will therefore make a two-hour visit to the establishment. “We will be able to talk to the residents, see the entire site – including the interior, the exterior, the basement and the rooms that are being renovated – and then we will be able to speak with the team of workers,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press. Conditions that he considers acceptable.
Last June, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard told The Canadian Press that he wanted to visit the Yvon-Brunet Accommodation Centre after a citizen expressed concerns about the dilapidated state of the facility.
At that time, the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal – which oversees the Yvon-Brunet Accommodation Centre – indicated that it had refused the MP access to the CHSLD, citing reasons of privacy, confidentiality, but also political neutrality.
On July 3 – two weeks after the publication of a first article on the subject – the elected representative in solidarity met with the CEO of the CIUSSS, Vincent Lehouillier. “I expected to make a certain plea […] Finally, right from the start, I didn’t have to say a lot of words, they told us that they were ready to offer us the visit,” says Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, who indicates that he was surprised by the speed with which the CIUSSS changed its tune.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000The CIUSSS says that “the situation has not changed.” “From the outset, it was agreed that we would be pleased to welcome Mr. Cliche-Rivard to our establishments and answer his questions. “We first had to establish the objectives of his request for a visit during an initial meeting with our management, which was done as soon as possible,” CIUSSS spokesperson Marianne Paquette said in a written statement sent to The Canadian Press.
“We spoke with Mr. Cliche-Rivard and his team to explain our reality before organizing the visit,” she added.
Last June, regarding allegations of dilapidation of the CHSLD, Ms. Paquette indicated that the “facilities are subject to Accreditation Canada visits to assess the quality of our care and services” and that the Ministry of Health and Social Services “regularly assesses the quality of the living environment for people housed in the accommodation centres.”
Although the Solidarity MP will finally be able to visit the facility as he wished, he believes that all the efforts made by him and his team to get there should not have been necessary. “We must be at a good full work week, a good 40 hours of work, to visit a CHSLD in my riding. It doesn’t make sense!” ” he says.
“When I make a request […], it should be granted to me within a reasonable time frame without having to make considerable efforts and mobilize the press to change it,” adds the member for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne.
Not the first time
A similar situation occurred with the Solidarity member for Sherbrooke, Christine Labrie, who was refused access to the Val-du-Lac youth centre a few months ago. She then tabled a bill to facilitate access for elected officials to public institutions.
The issue had sparked debate in the National Assembly. A few weeks later, she was finally able to visit the youth centre with the Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant.
The minister's press attaché, Lambert Drainville, had then indicated: “We agree that members should be able to see the resources in their constituency, especially those that are of a social nature.”