New health minister acknowledges controversial files

Benoît Bourque, shuffled into the New Brunswick cabinet as minister of health, will look after two controversial files — the privatizing of extramural management and Tele-Care, and the restructuring of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

"Obviously, there have been concerns expressed," Bourque said Wednesday, the day after it was announced he would replace Victor Boudreau, health minister since 2014.

"I have been looking at them, as a good minister of health should."

• New Brunswick privatizes management of extramural nursing and Tele-Care ​
• Province restructures Office of Chief Medical Officer of Health

The province is handing management of extramural care and Tele-Care to Medavie, the company that already runs Ambulance New Brunswick.

This change, announced last Friday, has been criticized by nurses, a hospital network, seniors, a former health minister, and the official languages commissioner.

Vitalité Health Network said the move to split up health services would decrease efficiency.

'Years and years of negotiations'

The Liberal government, which has been in power for about three years, did not consult the public about the change in health-care management, but Bourque said a lot of planning went into it nonetheless.

"Years and years of preparation and negotiations and thought, so I have to take that into account as well."

Bourque acknowledged the controversy but said he was not prepared to answer in-depth questions on issue. 

"I'm looking forward to looking at that with more detail and to have a better, a more informed opinion at a later date."

Bourque also offered sparse comment on the restructuring the office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Restructuring 'cynical'

Daily duties of the office have been shifted to other departments, according to an announcement last week.

Work done by public health and agri-food inspectors will now be looked after by the Department of Justice and Public Safety, and public health practice and population health will become part of the Department of Social Development.

The healthy environments branch will be integrated into the Department of Environment and Local Government.

The restructuring drew criticism, including from a leading expert in public health and two former health ministers, one Liberal and one Progressive Conservative.

Green Party Leader David Coon called it a "cynical, self-serving move that is aimed to undermine the ability of the medical office of health to address issues that perhaps the government finds politically concerning."

Bouque is still catching up on developments.

"It's been barely 24 hours since I've been named minister of health," Bourque said Wednesday morning. "Though of course, I've been following the situation."