Medical specialists may halt emergency stay request after Bill 2 agreement with Quebec

CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 7:16 PM EST | Last Updated: November 7

Quebec’s federation of aesculapian specialists and the provincial authorities person reached an statement connected however to construe a arguable proviso successful Bill 2, perchance allowing the doctors' relation to driblet its petition for an exigency enactment of the legislation.

But portion the exigency enactment petition whitethorn beryllium held, the tribunal situation isn’t over, according to Jean-Philippe Groleau, a lawyer for the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ).

The measure was adopted into instrumentality precocious past month, and has been drafting the ire of doctors’ federations arsenic it imposes a caller wage operation connected physicians.

Among the contiguous concerns, Groleau explained, is the meaning down Bill 2’s prohibition against 2 oregon much doctors engaging successful a concerted effort, specified arsenic unit tactics, to disrupt oregon dilatory aesculapian attraction to protestation authorities policy.

The FMSQ was disquieted that this proviso could beryllium interpreted truthful strictly that 2 doctors who were joined and moved to Ontario to practise, oregon colleagues who discussed retiring astatine the aforesaid time, could beryllium recovered blameworthy of the prohibition and subjected to terrible fines.

WATCH | Deal betwixt FMSQ and Quebec authorities explained:

On Thursday afternoon, the FMSQ announced it had received the government’s mentation of Bill 2. The authorities confirmed it would not construe the proviso strictly, clarifying it would not penalize actions similar 2 joined doctors relocating oregon 2 doctors retiring simultaneously.

The federation agreed with this little restrictive interpretation, noting the authorities affirmed a overmuch higher load of impervious — astatine the transgression level — would beryllium required for the prohibition to apply. Quebec’s lawyer wide would request to prove, beyond a tenable doubt, that the doctors were really leaving successful protest.

“I deliberation doctors are going to beryllium safe,” Groleau said, noting the unreserved to bid a enactment was to support the cardinal rights of doctors.

• Quebec adopts peculiar measure into instrumentality forcing caller compensation strategy connected doctors

Following their meeting, the 2 sides submitted a associated connection outlining this mentation to a Quebec Superior Court judge, asking him to o.k. it. The justice said helium would instrumentality a fewer days to contented a decision.

If the justice approves the associated interpretation, the FMSQ said this circumstantial petition for an exigency enactment would nary longer beryllium necessary. However, the federation said it inactive intends to situation the remainder of the instrumentality successful court, including the provisions that contravene the close of relation and negotiation.

Simon Jolin-Barrette, the province's justness curate and lawyer general, has maintained that the federations’ archetypal mentation of the authorities was incorrect and their fears were unfounded.

Paul Brunet, president of the Quebec Council for Patients Rights, was astatine the tribunal Thursday. He said helium wants patients to beryllium represented.

• Quebec extends manus to doctors, suspends parts of peculiar instrumentality successful bid to resume talks

“On the 1 hand, we person a authorities that is surely well-intentioned, that wants to amended the ratio of doctors' services, not to notation improving the ratio of the web itself,” helium said.

“And astatine the aforesaid time, we person doctors who say: 'If this instrumentality really comes into force, we volition suffer hundreds of doctors.' Patients are nary further ahead. We privation justness to settee the debate.”

Brunet reiterated that the assembly requested an amendment to Bill 2 truthful that it would authorities that each patients volition person entree to wellness care.