# Why did Quebec pass a law that apparently penalizes doctors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 29, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397 "2025-10-29T17:53:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/1 "2025-10-29T17:53:53Z")
So the law will impose huge penalties(up to 500,000 per day) on doctors who don’t help enough people. Why? Is there something I’m missing? On the surface it sounds dumb but I’m no expert. > **[New Brunswick sees spike in Quebec doctors applying to practice | Globalnews.ca](https://globalnews.ca/news/11496832/spike-in-number-quebec-doctors-applying-new-brunswick/)** > > There has been an uptick in the number of Quebec doctors applying for licensing in New Brunswick, after Quebec passed a controversial bill that changes how they're paid. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/2 "2025-10-29T18:27:04Z")
A couple articles I’ve read make it sound like the government is pushing doctors to see more patients per day by tying compensation to the requirement, which sounds like it could be a recipe for lots of short, less than fruitful patient visits. What’s really disturbing are [the bill’s penalties](http://ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/whats-in-quebecs-controversial-doctors-bill/) for protesting/defying the government’s policies ($20,000 a day for individual doctors up to $500K for group action). > [@](#): > > Bill 2 also includes a section that prohibits doctors from engaging in what the government considers “concerted actions” to challenge government policies. > > A concerted action, according to the bill, would result in “stopping, reducing or slowing down the physician’s professional activity” or slow down training in the medical field. > > The provision puts an end to pressure tactics, such as the ones used by the doctors’ federations in recent weeks to oppose the new pay scheme when they called on their members to suspend teaching medical students. Other examples could include groups of doctors leaving the public health system for the private system or to another province. Wait - so if you dare to move to a job in another province, Quebec will impose a hugely punitive fine on you? Sounds like this may not survive a court challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/3 "2025-10-29T19:55:28Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > What’s really disturbing are [the bill’s penalties](http://ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/whats-in-quebecs-controversial-doctors-bill/) for protesting/defying the government’s policies ($20,000 a day for individual doctors up to $500K for group action). […] Sounds like this may not survive a court challenge. Does Canada have free speech laws? How do they factor into something like this? ---
**Author:** ![Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slight_Off_Hand)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/4 "2025-10-29T20:52:27Z")
Good news for New Brunswick. We could definitely use more doctors. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/5 "2025-10-29T21:13:02Z")
Why? Because Quebec governments in recent decades – pretty much across all parties – have been oppressively bureaucratic with both socialist and xenophobic inclinations. They believe that great outcomes can be achieved purely by government decree, which has resulted in (for instance) Quebec having arguably the worst health care system in Canada despite extraordinary legislative efforts to improve it just by brute force of law. > [@Reply](#): > > Does Canada have free speech laws? Yes, but we don’t believe in free speech absolutism in all circumstances. > [@Reply](#): > > How do they factor into something like this? One major factor might be that in order to get Quebec to sign on to the Constitution Act of 1982, on their insistence the Constitution allows provinces to invoke a “notwithstanding” clause, basically saying that regardless of what the Constitution says, in this particular instance we’re not abiding by it. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/6 "2025-10-29T21:38:27Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Constitution allows provinces to invoke a “notwithstanding” clause, basically saying that regardless of what the Constitution says That’s really interesting. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-quebec-pass-a-law-that-apparently-penalizes-doctors/1024397/7 "2025-10-29T21:41:00Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > regardless of what the Constitution says (for certain sections of the Constitution, not all of them)