In a sudden political development, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé has stepped down from his cabinet position within the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government. He announced his intention to serve the remainder of his term as an independent member of the National Assembly.
A Surprise Announcement on Social Media
The decision, which caught political observers off guard, was revealed by Dubé himself in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, December 18, 2025. The timing is particularly notable as it comes just one week after the Quebec government reached a tentative agreement with the province's family doctors regarding their salary structure.
In his statement, Dubé directly linked his resignation to the recent deal with the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ). He wrote that he had concluded he was "not the right person to pursue these discussions and pilot the re-writing of Law 2 as required by the agreement." This indicates a significant shift in the leadership overseeing a major healthcare file.
Background and Political Future
This move follows Dubé's prior announcement that he would not be seeking re-election in the next provincial vote, scheduled for 2026. His departure from the CAQ caucus, however, accelerates his exit from the governing party's inner circle.
The resignation removes a key minister from Premier François Legault's cabinet during a critical period for the healthcare system. Dubé had been the face of the government's health portfolio, navigating challenges including negotiations with medical federations and systemic reforms.
Implications for Quebec's Healthcare Agenda
The immediate consequence is a leadership vacuum at the top of the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The government must now appoint a new minister to steer the implementation of the tentative deal with doctors and manage other ongoing files.
Dubé's decision to sit as an independent means the CAQ temporarily loses one vote in the legislature, though this is unlikely to threaten the government's majority. The focus now turns to who will succeed him and whether the change in leadership will alter the trajectory of healthcare negotiations and policy in Quebec.
Political analysts will be watching closely to see if this resignation signals deeper tensions within the CAQ government over its handling of the healthcare portfolio, one of the most scrutinized areas of provincial responsibility.
