Opposition rips Legault for saying he made no mistakes managing pandemic

Premier François Legault's statement that he made no mistakes in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic sparked an uproar in the National Assembly Thursday, with the opposition quick to point out the errors it feels he made.

In an end-of-year interview with L'actualité magazine, Legault was asked whether he made any errors in the handling of the pandemic, which has killed 7,155 Quebecers.

“No, I don't see any,” Legault answered. “When I look at the second wave, I consider 80 per cent of the problems in CHSLDS were solved. There are 10,000 more well-paid orderlies and a manager responsible for each CHSLD who ensures masks are worn and there is equipment.”

Legault added that if there is one thing he does regret, it's not having increased the salaries of orderlies before the crisis — a statement he has made before.

The interview stunned the opposition leaders. Noting the death toll of more than 7,000 citizens, Parti Québécois Leader Pascal Bérubé described the comments as “insulting and particularly pretentious.”

“I find it pretty strange on the part of a premier who said when he was elected that he would lead a humble government and wouldn't be scared to say when he made a mistake,” Bérubé told reporters.

He ran down the list of areas in which he felt the government has been lax, including its tardy decision to make masks mandatory, correcting ventilation problems in schools and preparing CHSLDS for the first wave by limiting the movement of workers.

Quebec was also slow to get testing and tracing systems up and running, delivered confusing messages about the Christmas break and generally lacked transparency in its decision-making.

“I will let Quebecers judge for themselves the premier's decision to give himself a perfect grade — that he made no mistakes, that we have a perfect premier,” Bérubé said sarcastically.

Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade added people understand there was no guidebook for handling a pandemic.

But she said all Quebecers have to do to understand the extent of the government's lack of foresight is examine its hasty and illplanned decision to allow citizens to gather for Christmas.

During question period later, Bérubé had Legault on the ropes, challenging him to repeat in the legislature that he thinks he made no mistakes, something Legault did not do.

The premier responded by noting he also said in the interview that all governments in the world have recognized they should have hired more employees to work in seniors' residences.

As for masks and ventilation, Legault said he followed the advice of public health.

“I say now and have repeated from the start, for the last nine months I always followed and even did more than public health suggested I do,” he responded.

Legault, however, said there is not a night when he does not wonder whether he should have made a different decision.

“I am not someone who says it's like this and I am sure this is the way to go,” Legault said.

“We (in the crisis team) are always questioning and discussing as a team.

“I think we can be proud of what we did in very difficult conditions.”

Later, at a pandemic news conference, Legault was in damage control, saying that he should have been better prepared for the interview with the magazine.

“In that interview I never said that I was perfect and that I had a perfect score,” Legault said. “I said I would have increased the salaries for orderlies before the pandemic.

“But besides that, I wasn't able to find a place where, with the information I had at the time, that I should have made another decision.

“Honestly, even right now, except for the salaries of orderlies, with the information that I had ... I cannot see anything that was not correctly done.”

I will let Quebecers judge for themselves the premier's decision to give himself a perfect grade.