For a moment, many thought he was crossing space. The CAQ MP for Saint-Jérôme, Youri Chassin, does not hide it: the disappointment of not being elected to the Council of Ministers was not easy to digest, but the option of imitating Claire Samsonn was never considered.
“Eventually we digest that and then turn the page,” he said in an interview.
Re-elected on October 3 by a majority of 12,800 votes, double the number in the last election, the economist, who settled for a post as parliamentary assistant in his first term, was hoping to finally gain access to a ministerial post.
“I had good signs, people were pushing me,” recalls Mr. Chassin.
On October 20, the day the Council of Ministers was sworn in, it was clear to him that he would not be called to the front. “There was a moment that was maybe harder to live with personally, and then I’ll admit it. […] There was disappointment. »
For him, going “to the Baboune” at the ceremony and venting his “disappointment” publicly would be out of the question. It took him “a few days to be in a good mood again”. By declining all interview requests, “the rumor machine” got carried away, he noted.
The Call of the Foot
“I heard the call of foot that happened publicly,” Mr Chassin said, referring to Conservative leader Éric Duhaime’s raid. The two men ultimately never had a conversation. Although known for his right-wing ideas, Youri Chassin assures us that joining the PCQ is an option he never considered.
“I never thought of leaving my political family,” he said.
“Maybe some were disappointed that I didn’t cross the room, but in all honesty it wasn’t accounted for, it’s not like me.”
Why did you wait until recently to finally break your silence? “The end of the year presents a kind of opportunity to take stock,” Mr. Chassin replied.
“I think it’s interesting to talk about what’s to come. I am very enthusiastic,” stated the MNA, who says he is enthusiastic about the challenge that the Prime Minister has entrusted to him, namely the fulfillment of the commitment to realize two private mini-hospitals, as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health , Christian Dube.
“I am a trained economist. […] I honestly didn’t expect that. »
Public vs. private: a thorny debate
Having often defended the idea of giving more space to private health, he refuses to be labeled while his opponents try to portray him.
However, he is aware that this is a “sensitive” debate. “Because the words ‘public’ and ‘private’ have many connotations,” he muses. “There are people who care deeply about the public aspect itself, the MP acknowledges. […] I attach great importance to accessibility and quality. After that, whether public or private…”
The timeline for the construction of these two mini-hospitals is expected to become clearer in 2023. “We have not questioned the election commitment: by 2025 we want these two mini-hospitals, one in East Montreal, one in the Quebec region, to exist and be operational,” stresses the MP.
“I’ve been entrusted with a great mission, an important priority file for the government, I think it’s a great vote of confidence. So I’ll apply all the chewing gum,” promises Youri Chassin.
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