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Montréal – As announcements of budget cuts have multiplied in recent weeks, an impetus of mobilization is taking shape: nearly 6,000 people signed a letter to François Legault, Éric Girard, Christian Dubé and Lionel Carmant urging them to take bold measures to guarantee stable, sufficient financing for the health and social services system.

In the letter, the signatories denounce the ongoing deterioration of the public system, undermined by reforms that have missed the mark and chronic underfunding, which has disastrous consequences for access to care for Quebecers, particularly the most vulnerable among us.

The signatories don’t merely point to the system’s deficiencies; they propose concrete, bold solutions. These include introducing a budgetary shield to stabilize funding for health care, implementing fiscal measures to increase government revenue – particularly by taxing the assets of the wealthiest 1% and ending incorporation for physicians – as well as an energetic, gradual strategy for deprivatization. 

“Our health and social services system has been left to its own devices for too long, the victim of a lack of vision and insufficient funding,” said APTS president Robert Comeau and vice-president Émilie Charbonneau, who authored the letter. “This is no time for austerity – a solution tried many times over that has always been a disaster. It’s time for political courage and vision if we want to reverse course and finally offer universally accessible, quality care.” 

This grassroots mobilization comes at a key moment, as the government is preparing to table its 2025-2026 budget next week. The signatories hope that their voices will be heard and that there will be firm commitments to ensure a viable future for the public system. 

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Our members provide a wide range of services for all Quebecers, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.