The cannonball Barrette

Photo courtesy

Josée Legault

Tuesday, 6 February 2018 15:59

UPDATE
Tuesday, 6 February 2018 16:26

Look at this article

The unpopularity growing Gaétan Barrette, the omnipuissant minister of Health, is undeniable. If she should ever be maintained until the onset of the election campaign, Philippe Couillard could find this ball even more political heavy weight to drag around.

Already, by 2016, a survey Light/The Journal/The Duty indicated that the three members of the most unpopular of the government Couillard were Sam Hamad (who has resigned since), the doctors Gaétan Barrette, and the prime minister Couillard himself.

This morning, an Ipsos/The Press confirms it, brutally : “Not less than 61 % of voters consider it” intransigent and arrogant “rather than” decisive and confident “. This finding is probably not foreign to the verdict without appeal of the population to the health care network : 70% of people feel that it has deteriorated in the past three years.”

When 70% of people see the health care system deteriorate under the duo Barrette-Couillard, that’s a lot of world.

It is not surprising that in this day parliament is back in session in the national Assembly, Mr. Couillard has spent a large part of his time to have to “defend” his own minister of Health. No wonder that to try to calm the game a bit, it also, in extremis, on the meeting of the minister at 16: 00 with the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec to try to find solutions to the grievances based nurses on their working conditions.

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The augustus ostrich

However, according to the augustus ostrich that is the minister Barrette, EVERYTHING is GOING VERY WELL.

All the criticisms aimed at its “reforms”, according to him, would only be a matter of false perceptions fueled, he believes, by the wicked media and the nurses themselves, the message would not be sufficiently “positive” in the eyes of the minister who is in control, however, since his arrival at the head of the Health and social Services.

Oddly enough, we even heard a few commentators say that it would indeed be a matter of “perceptions” and not the reality on the ground. In short, the rejection by the minister Barrette and its multiple reforms would, therefore, not due to their failure, but rather simply to the personality abrasive and too bossy to the minister. In other words, that Gaétan Barrette would, in fact, a bad seller of a good product.

The failure, however, is patent. University researchers serious have found. Ditto for the health professionals, the nurses, the medical staff of Sainte-Justine, and all full of patients, and beneficiaries.

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Why silence the independent voices?

While senior managers are silent for fear of losing their positions that they are now accountable to the minister, those who spoke in other instances, themselves, have had their position abolished by the minister.

In fact, if the minister Barrette was as sure as he said of the alleged “success” of its reforms in the ultra-centralist and the bar opened in public funds which he has blessed his ex-colleagues, medical specialists, why then has he eliminated the position of Commissioner of the health and well-being? Which commissioner, as if by chance, “made it possible to independently assess the performance of the health system and social services”. Why is the minister feared it as the INDEPENDENT commissioner ? Ask the question, as they say…

Notwithstanding the minister, the verdict of the population is, unfortunately, based for the most part.

In fact, the real problem is two-fold. On the bottom, most of the reforms Module has failed. On the form, the showoff in him has also done a lot of damage.

In short, if he is as evil beloved, it is that the reasons are not lacking. It would be a great time, quite frankly, out of this old way of doing politics by playing the Napoleon of operetta.

Now, once the assessment is, the important thing for voters will be to know precisely what the opposition parties propose and offer in health and social services. And this, in view of the election of next October 1st.

This, in its turn, however, raises a troubling question, but a must.

Namely, if, by dint of seeing political parties to abandon some of their promises-beacon once they are in power (Hello, among other things, to Justin Trudeau and his reform promised in the voting method!), Quebecers will they be even willing to “believe” the commitments of the opposition parties in this field, yet crucial for an aging society such as ours.

To follow…