Resolution opposing Québec Bill 2 / Law 2, in support of Québec doctors and medical professionals

RESOLUTION N^O251108
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CÔTE SAINT-LUC CITY COUNCIL HELD NOVEMBER 24, 2025

Council members present :

Mayor : David Tordjman

Councillors :
Lior Azerad
Sidney Benizri
Jamie Fabian
Mike Cohen, B.A.
Steven Erdelyi, B.Sc., B.Ed
Mitch Kujavsky, B. Comm.
Oren Sebag, B.Sc. RN MBA
Andee Shuster

RESOLUTION OPPOSING QUÉBEC BILL 2 / LAW 2, IN SUPPORT OF QUÉBEC DOCTORS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

WHEREAS the National Assembly of Québec adopted Bill 2 : «Loi visant principalement à instaurer la responsabilité collective quant à l’amélioration de l’accès aux services médicaux et à assurer la continuité de la prestation de ces services» on October 25, 2025;

WHEREAS the bill was passed under a closure procedure, limiting public debate and consultation with physicians and independent medical federations;

WHEREAS the Pétition 11807 at the Québec National Assembly, with more than 31,000 signatures, calls for the immediate repeal of Bill 2, citing concerns that the law imposes unrealistic performance targets, threatens the quality of care, and penalizes physicians, their associations, and academic institutions;

WHEREAS under Bill 2, up to 15% of physicians’ remuneration is now tied to provincial performance targets, such as emergency wait times and surgical output, targets which are outside of physicians’ control, with claw-backs if not met — yet many physicians argue they lack the necessary resources, infrastructure, and capacity to reach those targets safely;

WHEREAS Bill 2 introduces punitive measures: physicians and groups engaging in concerted action, such as collective advocacy or reducing professional or teaching activities in a work-to-rule, may face significant fines of up to $500,000 per day as punitive measures;

WHEREAS medical federations such as the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) and the Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ), have publicly denounced Bill 2 as a violation of physicians’ rights and have initiated legal challenges in Québec Superior Court, arguing that it infringes on fundamental freedoms (e.g., association, free expression);

WHEREAS the Barreau du Québec has urged the government to remove the most troubling parts of Bill 2 entirely and has warned that Bill 2 could weaken the rule of law by limiting the ability of organizations, unions and community groups to speak out or pursue court challenges thus obstructing democratic rights and public access to justice;

WHEREAS the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the College of Physicians of Quebec have both warned that Bill 2 may endanger patient access to care by exacerbating physician burnout, early retirements, or a mass exodus of doctors from the province of Québec to other provinces, thereby further weakening the already strained healthcare system;

WHEREAS public demonstrations have occurred, including a rally on November 9, 2025, attended by more than 12,000 doctors, medical students, and supporters at Montréal’s Bell Centre, demanding suspension of Bill 2;

WHEREAS the health authority, Santé Québec, has expressed concern, stating that the law’s full implications are not yet well understood by frontline professionals and that its implementation may risk reducing access to care rather than improving it;

WHEREAS the City of Côte Saint-Luc (“City”) recognizes that a robust and well-supported medical community is vital to the health, safety, and well-being of all its citizens, including vulnerable populations, and that destabilizing the physician workforce risks undermining access to timely, high-quality care;

WHEREAS the City includes numerous healthcare facilities, such as the CIUSSS West-Central Montréal, Mount Sinai Hospital, CLSC René-Cassin, Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre, Centre Médical Santé Kildare, Clinique Médicale Step, Elna Medical, among other medical practices providing vital service to our residents;

WHEREAS in a letter dated November 9, 2025 and addressed to Dr. Ariane Murray, Director of the Montreal Department of Family Medicine (DTMF) and Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and Director General of CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, eighteen (18) owners and medical directors of Family Medicine Groups (GMFs), including six (6) clinics located in Cote Saint Luc, warn that they may need to close their clinics by April 1, 2026, impacting more than 400 000 patients, as a result of Bill 2;

WHEREAS the City prioritizes the health of its residents through initiatives such as its Emergency Medical Services (EMS), a unique service providing 24/7 volunteer emergency response to assist Québec’s Urgence Santé as well as other lifesaving and health-promoting programs to support residents’ medical, physical, and mental health and quality of life;

WHEREAS the City has a residency which includes hundreds of doctors and other medical professionals;

It was

MOVED BY COUNCILLOR ANDEE SHUSTER

SECONDED BY ALL THE COUNCILLORS

AND RESOLVED:

“THAT the City of Côte Saint-Luc expresses its strong opposition to Québec Bill 2 / Law 2 in its current form;

THAT the City supports the repeal of the law, in line with the demands of Pétition 11807;

THAT the City stands in solidarity with Québec’s medical professionals — family physicians, specialists, and medical students — in protecting their rights, professional autonomy, and capacity to deliver care;

THAT the City calls upon the Government of Québec to return to the bargaining table with the major medical federations (FMOQ, FMSQ, FMRQ, etc.), to negotiate a fair and sustainable remuneration model, rather than imposing punitive legislation;

THAT the City urges the Québec Government to implement mechanisms such as independent arbitration (as exists in other provinces) to resolve physician compensation disputes;

THAT the City reaffirms its commitment to working collaboratively with all healthcare stakeholders (physicians, nurses, regional health agencies, citizens) to strengthen Québec’s public health system and to promote policies that improve—not undermine—access to care for all residents;

THAT the City directs its City Clerk send a copy of this resolution to: the Premier of Québec, François Legault; the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé; all of members of the National Assembly of Quebec, including the Member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy McGee, to all other municipalities in the Montreal Metropolitan Community, to the Member of Parliament for Mount Royal, to the Prime Minister of Canada, to the Union des Municipalités du Québec (UMQ), to the Fédération Québécoise des Municipalités (FQM), to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) the Fédérations médicales (FMOQ, FMSQ, FMRQ); as well as to any relevant stakeholders.”

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY