Legault government wants to bring Quebec doctors into line

Quebec Premier Francois Legault snaps at the Quebec Solidaire second Opposition during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

The CAQ government will table a surprise bill on Thursday aimed at bringing doctors into line.

“It’s going to be a bumpy ride, but we’re not going to back down,” said Premier François Legault Wednesday morning.

The bill, “aimed primarily at introducing collective responsibility and accountability for improving access to medical services,” comes in the middle of negotiations to renew the framework agreement for doctors.

Last Saturday, delegates from the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) rejected Quebec’s offer to modify their remuneration model, in particular by introducing colour codes for each patient.

The Legault government wants 25 per cent of the remuneration package for family doctors to be linked to their performance.

“We will never have an effective health-care network until all Quebecers are taken care of by family medicine groups, starting with family doctors,” said Legault during a brief news scrum.

The premier pointed out that, in his opinion, “two-thirds of doctors take care of Quebecers, but there is a third who need to do more,” he said.

“Quebecers have the right to be taken care of. We are tabling a bill tomorrow, and this is non-negotiable. I am not going to back down, unlike other governments that have always backed down with the doctors’ union,” he added.

According to Legault, “the doctors’ union has always refused to ... accept its responsibilities, so there will be some turmoil, but we are not going to back down.”

Health Minister Christian Dubé’s office invited journalists to a technical briefing followed by a news conference to be held on Thursday morning at the National Assembly.

Dubé said on social media on Wednesday that he was working “to ensure that 100 per cent of Quebecers are cared for by the summer of 2026.”

He added that his government was continuing negotiations with the two medical federations in parallel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 7, 2025.