A Parti Québécois (PQ) government would abolish Santé Québec to invest more in direct care for the public. The PQ said it would use those savings to strengthen primary care and access to care through CLSCs, as well as to reduce surgical waiting lists. At a news conference in front of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal on Friday morning, PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon lamented that Santé Québec has failed to meet expectations. “We are indeed facing a bureaucratic monster. We must regain control over this government-owned corporation, and it must be held accountable for growth that is completely out of control,” said St-Pierre Plamondon, referring to the organization’s rising number of employees. Wednesday, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger criticized the PQ’s proposal to abolish Santé Québec to reduce the size of the government, saying it was “not realistic.” “There was a transfer of employees from the ministry to Santé Québec. All of that is done. Those were significant negotiations. We will not go back to that,” Bélanger said. Santé Québec was created in 2024 and became the sole employer of staff in the health and social services network. A total of 894 positions were moved, with Jan. 23, 2025, marking the official transfer of all eligible ministry staff to Santé Québec. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 21, 2026.
