Quebec City, 7 May 2025 — A broad coalition of organizations from community, human rights, union and medical backgrounds has gathered today outside the National Assembly of Quebec to launch a public signature campaign in support of the declaration « Le privé, tout sauf santé ». After more than 540 organizations lent their support to the declaration, this event marked a turning point in citizen mobilization for defending the public health and social services network (RSSS), which began following the presentation of the Dubé reform.

Faced with the ongoing erosion of the public system under policies that favour the development of the private sector in health and social services, dozens of organizations came together on February 21 and 22 to denounce the impacts of these political decisions. The growing wait times, dangerous working conditions, excessive centralization and crumbling of proximity services are all direct consequences of this worrying trend. The government implementation of Santé Québec is only exacerbating this drift.

“We have to stop telling people that the public network doesn’t work. Our governments are the ones underfunding it, neglecting its workers and quietly organizing the exodus to the private sector. It’s not inevitable, it’s a political choice. And it’s the Quebec population who are paying the price,” says Émilie Charbonneau, vice-president of the APTS, speaking on behalf of the union organizations in the health and social services network.

“The vast majority of the population believes in the inestimable value of our public network,” added Sophie Verdon, coordinator of the Coalition solidarité santé. “It is urgent that we massively invest to strengthen it rather than draining it by relying on private interests whose profit margins are crippling our public finances, and, ultimately, the services available,” she continued.

Vania Wright-Larin, coordinator at the RÉPAC 03-12, also highlighted the crucial role played by the community: “Community groups are first-hand witnesses to the devastating impacts of a two-tier system. In the field, the deliberate degradation of the public network in favour of the private sector is causing an unprecedented surge in demand for organizations that are still largely under-funded and whose mission is not to compensate for the failings of the healthcare system. To improve the overall health of our society, it is vital that we respect the distinct role of the community sector and recognize the value of its social contribution,” he explained.

This citizen gathering was an occasion for the public and civil society stakeholders to express their opposition to rampant privatization. Several people representing opposition parties were there to officially launch the campaign by being the first to sign the common declaration. This public demonstration is intended to send a strong message: health is a fundamental right and must not be treated as a commodity.

The coalition is calling on the population of Quebec to support this initiative by signing the declaration online and participating in the various mobilization actions to come.

For more information:

Maxime Clément, APTS, 514 792-0481,
Jean-Pierre Larche, CSN, 514 605 0757,
Sandra Gagné, FIQ, 514 796-5093,
Étienne Richer, FSQ-CSQ, 581 983-6130,
Sébastien Goulet, SCFP, 438 882-3756,
Benoit Hamilton, SQEES-FTQ, 514 347-9836,
Nathalie Côté, SPGQ, 418-254-7892,
Mercédez Roberge, TRPOCB, 514-690-7826,
Vania Wright-Larin, RÉPAC 03-12, 581 995-0801,
Sophie Verdon, Coalition solidarité santé, 514 442-0577,