So, is Chebat engaging in ministerial overreach? Here's his explanation when he was asked about it today:
Hon. Michel Chebat - Ministry of Health and Wellness
"This is not limiting. I don't have the authority to limit her. What is happening is, as you know, things are moving very quickly with COVID. And we felt that it was important for us to just step back a little bit, and assess what's going on, to make sure that all of our resources are going in the right direction. That is all it was. I don't have any legal authority to limit her or to constrain her."
Reporter
"This incident with that memo is one thing, but the PSU is making the accusation that you are stripping her of authority, that she is not really fulfilling her functions. We've seen that she has been replaced on the kitchen board by Dr. Julio Sabido, who they are calling 'Superman' because he's practically doing everything now, kind of functioning as a DHS. What's happening there?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"Well, he is not the person who is acting as DHS. It's Dr. Murray, and we decided to replace Dr. Mendez on the board because the ministry's a complex ministry. The ministry requires her to be there really five days a week, almost 24 hours a day, if possible. And so we felt that relieving her from the KHMH would allow her more time to spend that the ministry to make sure that the work is being done there."
Reporter
"But there's a law that says she's the one who's supposed to be there."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"No, there isn't. If you look at there is confusion in the interpretation of that. It does not say that. Look at it closely, Marisol It does not say to someone."
