In inaugural speech Legault forecasts big changes, especially decentralizing health management

After three years in power, Quebec Premier François Legault said Tuesday he wants to give his government a second wind with a new parliamentary session bringing new policy, especially in terms of the province's health network, which he said is much too centralized.

Vast decentralization at both local and regional levels of Quebec's health system, which Legault described as dysfunctional, will be a focus of the government's actions over the next few months.

It was already clear that Minister of Health Christian Dubé plans to present a mammoth bill this fall aimed at reviewing how the health network functions.

With this inaugural speech, Legault kicked off the second session of the 42nd legislature of the National Assembly. The speech is traditionally supposed to outline the government's roadmap, its priorities, for the coming months.

From the outset, Legault's speech conveyed a belief that the COVID-19 pandemic finally seems under control -- he notably announced he expects the imminent end of the state of health emergency, which grants many extra powers to the government, such as allowing it to make contracts without tendering.