Quebec will go into arbitration with doctors: Treasury Board president

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé responds to the opposition during question period at the Quebec National Assembly on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

As soon as it was made, the Legault government’s mediation offer to doctors was met on Wednesday with conditions that could lead to its rejection.

The Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) responded with its demands late in the afternoon.

In the event of an impasse, mediation must lead to arbitration, and secondly, Bill 106, at the heart of the dispute with the medical federations, must be abandoned, the FMOQ said in a written statement.

However, the government has suggested that the offer of mediation is only valid if the principles of Bill 106 are preserved.

The proposed legislation, which would link doctors’ pay to the achievement of performance targets for patient care, has been denounced by both the FMOQ and the Federation of Medical Specialists (FMSQ).

Health Minister Christian Dubé and Treasury Board President France-Élaine Duranceau both came out after Wednesday afternoon’s cabinet meeting with a statement reaching out to the medical federations.

“I asked the federations to consider entering into a mediation process to find a way forward, to find a solution,” said Duranceau, without answering questions from reporters.

The FMOQ responded quickly by setting its own conditions. In a written statement released early in the evening, the FMSQ said it would “study with interest” the mediation proposal and “consult its authorities on the matter.”

Dubé himself had rejected the FMOQ’s proposal that same morning.

The federation filed a motion in court on Friday requesting independent arbitration, but the minister rejected this option, claiming that it would cost $1.8 billion.

The government’s attempts to find common ground therefore seem compromised, to say the least.

Already on Wednesday morning, Premier François Legault had expressed his exasperation by telling doctors “enough is enough” in response to the pressure tactics of the FMOQ and FMSQ, which are having an impact.

But for his part, Dubé was trying at the same time to strike a more conciliatory tone. He argues that he has shown “a great deal of openness” in the talks by making concessions.

In particular, he listed the accommodations made for older doctors nearing retirement, as well as for the regions. He is also prepared to be more flexible on the regulatory power granted to him by section 8 of his bill.

The government has set two conditions for mediation to take place. The medical federations must renounce their pressure tactics during mediation, and the principles of Bill 106 must be maintained.

The parties will have to agree on the mediator and the schedule. In the mediation process, the mediator attempts to bring the parties together and find a solution, while in arbitration, the arbitrator imposes an enforceable solution.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 24, 2025.