The government must stop demanding budget cuts and protect the funding of the public system
January 30, 2025
Longueuil – As service users and employees continue to speak out about the impact of budget cuts, health minister Christian Dubé has started to ease off on the demands imposed on Santé Québec. But according to the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé), this partial turnaround is not enough. The government must completely withdraw its demand for budget cuts and must guarantee stable and predictable funding that will meet Quebecers’ needs.
“Minister Dubé has acknowledged the very real consequences of his budget cuts, but he’s still demanding cutbacks that will jeopardize essential care and services,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “If the government really wants to protect our public system, it must stop imposing financial choices that harm both the people who need care and employees. A budget has two columns: revenue and expenditure. When you make reductions without providing adequate funding, Quebecers are the ones who pay the price.”
The impact of reduced budgets is already apparent not only in home care, where services to vulnerable people are being cut, but also in mental health and medical imaging. The APTS is also concerned about major repercussions in other areas of the public system where workers were hoping for reinforcements rather than new cutbacks.
“We need to break the vicious circle where the public system is weakened by budget cuts that force us to rely on the private sector, creating a shift that is then used to justify further reductions,” added Robert Comeau. “According to the APTS, the answer is to establish a budgetary shield that would ensure a minimum level of funding for the public system, sufficient to meet Quebecers’ real needs. This shield would guarantee the strength and effectiveness of our public health and social services 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.
