Townshippers’ Association and Voice of English-speaking Québec to testify on health care reform

MONTREAL- Two more Anglophone community groups have now been told they can testify on hearings into Bill 10.
The Quebec Community groups network was initially the only Anglophone group invited to speak about the Liberal`s plan to reform the health care system. But Thursday at noon The Voice of English Speaking Quebec and the Townshippers` Association will appear before the health and social services commission at the National Assembly.

The government wants to cut bureaucracy by merging health-care institutions and their boards of directors.

That has raised concerns about whether English speakers rights will be protected in this new system.

“A careful reading of Bill 10 has led us to conclude that there are a number of concerns for the English-speaking population of the Eastern Townships. Given that all the institutions will be regrouped under one governing body, we have to ask how access to services in English will be guaranteed in the future especially if there is no provision for representation from the local English communities,” explains  Townshippers’ President Gerald Cutting.

Both organizations will get 20 minutes each to address the commission starting at noon Thursday.