Lucien Bouchard has negotiated for the Federation of medical specialists

Photo Chantal Poirier

Patrick Bellerose

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Tuesday, February 20, 2018 00:00

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The ex-premier Lucien Bouchard was part of the negotiating team of medical specialists that has pulled out $ 2 billion to the quebec government, that denounced the mp solidaire Amir Khadir.

“It seems to me that it has a duty, after having served the public interest, not to act against the public interest,” says the member of parliament for Mercier, who has often criticized the mandates of the ex-prime minister as a negotiator.

Last week, the government Couillard has announced that it will donate two billion dollars to the medical specialists in the framework of the agreement that binds the State with the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) until 2023. Québec ensures, however, that these are from agreements and that the government will not pay ” new money “.

For Amir Khadir, himself a medical doctor specialist, these increases obtained by the ex-prime minister are unacceptable. “The increases in indecent granted to doctors, for any men and women that are reasonable, is an exaggeration which undermines the public interest,” judge said.

Photo Agence QMI, Simon Clark

Amir Khadir
Québec solidaire

Negotiator

The FMSQ had retained the services of Me Lucien Bouchard, of the law firm Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, in January last, as an advisor to steer its legal remedies. The Federation has notably served formal notices to the government of Quebec to contest the application of the law 130, which gives hospitals the power to punish physicians who do not meet the needs of the institutions.

From the beginning of the summer, however, Lucien Bouchard has joined the negotiating team of the FMSQ. “Everyone knows that it is a great trader “, argues the director of public Affairs and Communications-of the FMSQ, Nicole Pelletier.

Not role-specific

THE FMSQ argues, however, that I Bouchard was not acting as negotiator-in-chief, but was “part” of the negotiating team, to the sides of Me Sylvain Bellavance, director of legal Affairs and negotiation with the Federation, and Raynald Ferland, vice-president of the organization. “A table of negotiations, it is three people present and talking. There is not a specific role, ” said Nicole Pelletier.

“My colleague in legal Affairs, being the director, it is a bit him which was the “lead”, if you allow me the expression, ” she adds. But, otherwise, everyone is equal around the table and everyone is talking about. “

Other recent mandates for the ex-PM

► 2010 Negotiator of the Société de transport de Montréal for the renewal of metro cars with the consortium Alstom-Bombardier.

► 2015 as a Mediator between the Quebec government and the cree communities and the innu in the Lac-Saint-Jean on the certification of Resolute forest Products.

► 2016 Negotiator for the pharmacist-owners in their dispute with the government over the removal of the cap professional allowances after they have agreed to pay $ 400 million over three years to contribute to the fiscal effort.

► 2017 Bargaining for the renewal of the collective agreement at the mine ArcelorMittal, on the North Shore.