Dubé may leave after holidays, Legault suggests in interview

Quebec Premier François Legault suggested in a year-end interview this week that provincial Health Minister Christian Dubé may be leaving office sooner rather than later.

Dubé — who has already said he will not run in next year’s provincial election — has been front and centre in the middle of a controversy over Bill 2, legislation that would review how Quebec physicians are paid.

While talks with the federations representing Quebec family doctors and specialists had broken down, they resumed only after Legault gave in to the doctors’ demand that the premier personally get involved with the negotiations. Those talks resulted in the government abandoning some of the more controversial measures in the law — elements that Dubé had vigorously defended.

The implementation of Bill 2 has also since been delayed amid the province’s tentative deal with family doctors.

Speaking to Noovo Info, Legault replied “I hope he stays” when asked whether he expected Dubé to remain in government until the end of his term.

“He already told me he would not be running in (the next election)…It was an exhausting year. He wants to take some vacation. I hope he stays,” said Legault. “I think he’ll give me an answer (about his future) when he gets back from the holidays.”

Last week, despite being asked repeatedly whether he would remain in office after the government’s backing down on parts of the reform, Dubé did not provide a clear response.