According to the program, "Des Idées Pour Mon Pays" (Ideas for My Country), the healing professions in general are in trouble. One solution, they believe, is to expand the role of alternative treatments.

The program suggests that the restrictive Article 31 of the Medical Law, hated by alternative practitioners, would be amended so as to redeÞne what constitutes a medical act. In addition, an independent body would be established, "composed of representatives of alternative therapists, the public and the government." The purpose of this body would be to enroll alternative therapists (les therapeutes) in a register that would be available to the general public; to "certify" therapists in the non-toxic medical disciplines; to spread information about therapies and therapists; to establish norms for the certiÞcation of such therapists; to recognize alternative professional associations; to accredit schools; etc.

Since alternative treatments now are not automatically covered by the national health insurance, the PQ raises the possibility that it might create a parallel alternative medicine health service. It also envisions rewarding people who use alternative measures, i.e. "those who have had the wisdom of adopting an attitude of prevention and maintaining themselves in a state of health."

It also calls for "serious research on the efÞcacy of alternative treatments and their integration into the health care system." Finally, it gives to all the citizens of Québéc, "the freedom to use the therapy of their choice and to consult the healer who suits them."