Bill 2 meeting cancelled after resignation

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) said they were left in the dark after the former provincial minister of health resigned from his post in December, just one day after he had rescheduled a meeting with the Council to discuss concerns about a controversial law set to change how doctors are paid in Quebec.

Christian Dubé, who had been the minister of health since 2020, had spoken virtually with MCK chiefs about their frustration surrounding Bill 2, which has been slammed by doctors and advocates, including the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) in early December. He had subsequently committed to a meeting in mid-December with MCK chiefs, but cancelled that meeting, rescheduling for an in-person meeting on January 19 in its place.

MCK chief Arnold Boyer said the Council table was therefore shocked to find out via social media one day later that Dubé had resigned, leaving the Council table without a set date to seek answers on Bill 2.

MCK grand chief Cody Diabo has since sent a letter to Quebec premier Francis Legault, expressing frustration with the situation.

“Mr. Dubé must have known that he would be resigning less than 24 hours later and yet he chose to foster an expectation of a meeting that he had no intention of fulfilling. Such actions are deeply disrespectful and a profound breach of good faith,” Diabo wrote in the letter. “The commitment on our side is strong, the time of our team is valuable, and we do not appreciate being misled when such a serious matter is to be discussed. This affront will not stand.”

On Wednesday, Boyer told The Eastern Door that MCK has yet to receive a response to the letter. He said he’s disappointed but not surprised in the lack of response.

“The government is the government. It doesn’t take things too seriously, and I don’t think the premier is jumping on the phone or jumping on the computer writing us back a letter,” he said.

As of right now, Bill 2 is set to take effect on February 28, and major revisions have been made since its initial passing, including the scrapping of some proposed penalties for healthcare workers who don’t meet performance targets.

Nonetheless, Boyer, who holds the health portfolio at MCK, said he’s concerned about what the bill could mean for healthcare in Kahnawake, particularly in terms of how it could exacerbate the shortage of family doctors faced throughout the province. In Kahnawake, it can be especially heart to recruit and retain family doctors, and anything that makes it harder to hire healthcare workers could have a major impact on the community, he said.

Sonia Bélanger has since been appointed to Dubé’s former role, but Boyer said that Council hasn’t heard from her office about honouring the proposed meeting date –Bélanger’s office did not respond to The Eastern Door’s request for comment in time for our publishing deadline.

“He made a personal commitment to meet with us,” Boyer said. “Maybe it’s a change in person and a change in commitment, but she’ll have to learn the file and start from scratch, and usually what happens is that means things are delayed.”

In his letter, Diabo requested that Legault honour the original meeting date of January 19 and commit to an in-person meeting with MCK chiefs, adding that he “fully expects” to hear a response from Legault’s office upon reception of the letter.

[email protected]