Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

Charles Milliard, candidate for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party, appeared in Gatineau
on November 25 to unveil a transformative healthcare plan for the Outaouais region. Standing
outside the CHSLD La Piet à on Rue Laurier, alongside Pontiac MNA André Fortin, Milliard
outlined his vision for tackling the region’s chronic healthcare challenges, with a focus on wage
parity and increased funding.

The Outaouais has faced persistent challenges in retaining healthcare professionals, largely
due to substantial wage disparities with neighbouring Ontario. Milliard proposed new legislation
to establish wage parity for healthcare workers in the region, aligning their salaries with those
across the border. He emphasized that this initiative would not only help stabilize the regional
healthcare workforce but also improve the quality and availability of services for residents.
“Every region of Quebec has its own specific needs and realities,” Milliard stated. “The
Outaouais region is a glaring example of regional inequality. My commitment is clear: to restore
balance and provide the people of the Outaouais with healthcare services that meet their
expectations and reflect their contributions to Quebec.”

Milliard also highlighted the severe underfunding that has plagued the region’s healthcare
system for years, leaving emergency rooms operating at less than 30 per cent capacity and
surgical units in Gatineau staffed at only a quarter of optimal levels. Currently, the Outaouais
receives $448.54 less in healthcare funding per capita than the provincial average, contributing
to the province’s longest surgery wait times.

André Fortin, who has endorsed Milliard’s leadership bid, criticized the provincial government’s
failure to address the crisis. “One-off bonuses and temporary solutions are not enough,” Fortin
said. “We need structural and sustainable actions to meet the needs of citizens and retain
talent.”

Milliard’s plan includes an annual reinvestment of over $200 million to bring the region’s
healthcare spending in line with the provincial average. He also pledged to modernize
healthcare infrastructure and expand regional training programs, ensuring a steady pipeline of
local healthcare professionals. Part of his proposal includes reserving a percentage of medical
school admissions for students from the Outaouais to encourage them to practice in the region.
“If elected, wage parity legislation will be a top priority,” Milliard announced. “In the first year of a
Liberal government under my leadership, we will pass a law to ensure wage parity in healthcare
for workers in this region. This measure will be the first step toward the justice the Outaouais
has demanded for decades.”

Photo: Charles Milliard, Quebec Liberal Party leadership candidate, has unveiled a plan to
address healthcare inequities in the Outaouais, pledging wage parity legislation and substantial ​
reinvestments to improve regional services and retain professionals. (TF) Photo: Courtesy of the
Quebec Liberal Party