The PQ does not close the door to the abolition of Santé Québec

Photo: Fred Tanneau Archives Agence France-Presse Among the proposals, the young PQ members are asking to remove tax benefits from doctors, in particular their right to incorporate.

Patrice Bergeron – The Canadian Press

Published at 11:35

• Québec

A PQ government could abolish the Santé Québec agency, which the CAQ government will set up on December 1.

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon suggested Sunday that he still had to be convinced of the relevance of this agency.

The new agency headed by Geneviève Biron will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the health network.

“Everything is on the table,” Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon suggested during a press scrum in Victoriaville, before taking part in his party's national council on health.

“Let's look at what Santé Québec is used for in order to pose, make a decision regarding the usefulness of this structure. »

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The PQ leader fears in particular that this agency could make difficult decisions, such as the $1 billion in cuts that were recently mentioned, while the minister could wash his hands of it.

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“[The government] has no answer to give because it's Santé Québec,” he lamented. “If this is used as a cover for cuts without the minister having to answer for a decision that is strictly speaking political, I remain unconvinced. I'm not convinced there.” »

This national council, which lasts only one day rather than the usual two days, will focus on health orientations.

Health proposals from young PQ members

Among the proposals, young PQ members are asking to remove tax benefits from doctors, including their right to incorporate.

The idea may offend the medical profession, but PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he was ready to accept it on Sunday.

The young PQ members' proposal to end the incorporation of doctors had already been launched in debate by Bernard Drainville, before his CAQ career, when he was a candidate for the leadership of the PQ.

Doctors who choose to incorporate do so to save on taxes. In fact, the corporate income tax rate is lower than that of individuals.

In its proposal, the youth wing of the PQ is asking the party's political commission to thoroughly review the tax advantages available to doctors, giving priority to the withdrawal of incorporation.

Doctors would therefore lose financial benefits, which is not going to please the medical federations, but the PQ leader did not seem to be worried about it.

“We are a democratic party whose decisions are based on the public interest,” replied Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon at a press briefing in Victoriaville on Sunday morning.

It was Philippe Couillard who, when he was Minister of Health, had allowed doctors to practice in a corporation, that is, to incorporate, by regulation in 2007.

According to the most recent data obtained by The Canadian Press from the College of Physicians, which authorizes its members to incorporate, almost 6 out of 10 doctors (59.3%) can practice in society.

Thus, in total, 15,646 doctors are authorized to be incorporated, including 6,586 family doctors, 8,878 specialists and 182 doctors with an “other” permit.

In February 2015, Radio-Canada noted that of the 22,552 physicians registered with the Collège des médecins, 10,247 were incorporated, or 45%.

Furthermore, among the other proposals that will be studied by health activists, there is the expansion of the drug insurance plan so that it becomes universal. Currently, the people covered by the plan are those who do not benefit from a private plan.