Couillard talks Anglos, MUHC mergers and separatism

With the next provincial election just over a year away, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard is reaching out to the province's English-speaking community and seekingto reassure Montrealers that he won't force a merger at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

In an interview with CBC MontrealDaybreakhost Mike FinnertyThursday, the premier highlighted his federalist stance, saying he wants to put Quebec "back at the centre of Canada."

Couillard also acknowledged he faces low approval rates with a year away from the next Quebec election, but said one thing he isn't worried about is a revival of the sovereignty movement.

Here are excerpts from that interview, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.

On health care in the Anglo community

I want to say unequivocally that Icare deeply for the English-speaking community of Quebec. It's part of my Quebec, it's part of our Quebec.What the province is today is in large part due to the work the English-speaking community has done through the yearsthe universities, the colleges, the hospitals.

We hear the concerns; there's no question of mergers at the MUHC. If it happens, it will not come from us.Frankly Ihave many, many, many other priorities than mergers of hospitals. But I think there is a need for stronger leadership and management at the MUHC.

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On Trudeauand the Constitution

A thing Iwant to do is keep a very good working relationshipwith JustinTrudeau.But it's my duty as Quebec premier to talk about thisas a federalist and this is a very federalistdocument it's about how Isee Quebec in Canada.

There's not a single sentence in the 200 pages that is asking for constitutional changes. But what we say in itis that we've been drifting apart.

Let's get closer together; let's put Quebec back at the centre of Canada.

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On systemic racism

As far as integrating newcomers to the workforce, we are making progress. Not fast enough, but we just passed a law that deals with professional corporations in order to make them much, much more activeto look at people's competencies and recognize them.

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On sovereignty

You know and I know that there will be no majority ofQuebecersthat would forego their Canadian citizenship. Why would they do this? They will not do it. It does not make sense. ThePartiQubcois and other separatist parties just cannot face the historical failure of their option.

It's normal to recognize importance of the English-speaking community itdoesn't take anything away from francophones. It's just a statement of fact and appreciation. What some people in the separatist community think about that, frankly, Idon't care.

On Bombardier raises

I wasn'thappy at all, but at theend of the day we have to be very, very careful not to damage what we areworkingso hard to protect. There's the aerospaceindustry in Quebec, which is 40,000 jobs in the Montreal area and it's centred on Bombardier.

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On running for re-election

It's hard for governments today to win people's satisfaction. Theonly thing we can do is work hard as we've been doing since day one.

I think the record is good. But you don't only campaign on therecord. You campaign on a new project, and this is what we are putting together as we speak.