Quebec health minister quits after 5 years in politics

Quebec Health Minister Philippe Couillard, once touted as the likely successor to Premier Jean Charest, is quitting politics after five years in public life.

He made the announcement in Quebec City on Wednesday, alongside Charest, who called him a talented minister.

Charest was quick to name Couillard's replacement Yves Bolduc, a doctor from Alma who ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the Lac-Saint-Jean riding in the 2007 Quebec election.

A neurosurgeon by training, Couillard has been health minister since 2003, when he was first elected as a member of the provincial legislature.

Couillard said he believes he has done everything he could as health minister and is ready to explore other horizons.

"I had the feeling that my contribution to society had reached its end," he said at a news conference in Quebec City.

Couillard said he plans to do a lot of fishing this summer and wants to spend more time with his family.

He said "undeniable" progress has been made in Quebec's health-care system in recent years, but there is still plenty of room for progress.

"I hope the person who will succeed me will do better than I did," Couillard said. "That's how our society progresses."

Couillard thanked Charest for giving him the chance to take on the most important Quebec portfolio despite his political inexperience.

The premier said he was saddened by Couillard's departure.

"When we came to power in 2003, the health-care system was going through one of the worst crises in its history," Charest said.

"Philippe Couillard allowed us to put the system on the road to recovery."

Once tabbed as possible party leader

Couillard, who will be 51 on Friday, was first elected in 2003 in the Montreal riding of Mont-Royal and immediately named health minister. He was re-elected in 2007 in the Quebec City riding of Jean-Talon.

When the Liberals lost support in public opinion polls last year following the provincial election, Couillard emerged as the leading candidate to replace Charest had he stepped down.

Charest has turned things around in recent months, and his Liberal minority government has enjoyed a surge in opinion polls, as the Action Dmocratique du Qubec has struggled.

Charest said the handover of the health file to Bolduc represents an important change in his government.

"We have lost an individual who has served extremely well in the last five years, but we're also today sending a very powerful signal, with the arrival of an individual who is recognized throughout Quebec for his management skills, and who has accepted to serve," the premier said.

Served as coroner

Bolduc, a general practitioner since 1981, has also served as a Quebec coroner since 1985.

He is the head of professional services at the Centre de sant et de services sociaux Lac-Saint-Jean-est, a hospital in the Saguenay region.

He is also interim director at the Centre de sant et de services sociaux de la Valle-de-l'Or, a hospital in Abitibi-Tmiscamingue.

Bolduc has forged a reputation as an efficient manager, notably applying Toyota assembly-line principles to hospital surgery wards.

Bolduc piloted the Lean Healthcare concept at the Val d'Or hospital this year. The concept involves reviewing every step of a given procedure to streamline the process.

Bolduc said his priority as Quebec's new health minister will be to cut down on hospital wait times.

He is expected to run in the Jean-Talon riding in a fall byelection.