Barrette stung to the quick by Drainville

Photo archive

Patrick Bellerose

Friday, February 2, 2018 18:55

UPDATE
Friday, February 2, 2018 18:59

Look at this article

The minister of Health Gaétan Barrette has accused Friday the columnist Bernard Drainville to make “policy” in the folder of burnout among the nurses.

Gaétan Barrette has not enjoyed the chronicle of his ex-opponent pq to the issue Since you have to get up on the airwaves on 98.5 FM. Bernard Drainville stated that the minister had not committed to meet short-term the Federation interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, the main union of nurses.

The columnist stated, however, that, according to the entourage of the minister, Gaétan Barrette, would meet “soon again”.

The end of the plan

In the exchange that followed with host Paul Arcand, Bernard Drainville added that the response from the prime minister Philippe Couillard to the problems of the nurses was a “replica of the end of the regime”. “Gaétan Barrette and the liberals would like to convince Quebecers to change their government they would not otherwise”, has launched the chronicler.

He then went on to say that Philippe Couillard could remove the minister, Strip the folder of the nurses, as he has done for the negotiations with the doctors and specialists. “There are liberals, before long, that tell Couillard : “You have slowed down negotiations with the specialists and the generalists : a cup-the folder of the nurses. It is now we run !””, said Bernard Drainville.

Response on Twitter

The minister quickly responded on Twitter by posting screen shots of an exchange of text messages between the columnist and a member of his entourage where one can read that the minister will meet with the FIQ “again”, without setting a specific schedule.

“I’ve been clear several times on the hill and [Since it is necessary to get up] :I will meet with Ms. [Nancy] Bédard, the president of the FIQ, has written to the minister Barrette on Twitter. On the other hand, the things are clear, I don’t have to manage the scoops of [Bernard Drainville]. What bad faith! A columnist who makes the policy.”

He then added : “I have a public action since 1996. I’ve never seen my remarks, nor those of my entourage also distorted, and used with equal bias. Ever. The population has the right to know your modus operandi for understand the reach of your words.”

Although versions of the chronicler and of the entourage of the minister on a possible meeting with the FIQ does not seem to diverge greatly, its press attaché to the minister, Catherine W. Audette, said that “what has been said [by Bernard Drainville] is totally the opposite of what was explained”.

Asked about the controversy involving his minister, Philippe Couillard referred to the relationship of trust that must exist between a journalist and a source that communicates in the “background”. “I think it’s important that this relationship of trust is always present and reinforced a-t-he commented on with caution. For the rest, I would leave the situation as it is. I think that things will settle by itself.”