The sun has set on the 42e Parliament on Friday, at the end of a week marked by the sudden and unexpected resumption of the debate on Quebec independence. François Legault’s government ends its first term after having the National Assembly adopt 125 laws, including the Act respecting the secularism of the Quebec state (21) and the Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French ( 96), both subject to the derogation provisions of the charters of rights and freedoms and both challenged in court. Balance sheet.
Busy ministers… others not so much
Some MPs have been more active than others on the legislative front. Awards.
Eric Girard The Minister of Finance wins the prize for hyperactivity. In four years, he tabled 16 bills, starting with the one establishing a single school tax rate across Quebec, which had been promised during the election campaign (Bill 3). It also legislated to postpone the return to balanced budgets after the COVID-19 pandemic. The great treasurer of Quebec has a perfect batting average, he who had all the bills he introduced.
Sonia LeBel The President of the Treasury Board – and former Minister of Justice – ranks second in this ranking, with 14 bills behind the tie. It abolished the limitation period imposed on victims of sexual violence to bring a civil suit against an alleged aggressor (Bill 55). It favored local purchasing in the awarding of public contracts (Bill 12). Shadows on the board: his Bill 66, which aimed to “accelerate” the construction of infrastructure projects during the troubled period of the COVID-19 pandemic, did not hit the mark; half of the selected projects are still in planning today. And, she abandoned her reform of the voting system.
Christian Dube The Minister has not been idle since his arrival at the head of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, almost two years ago. After the Prime Minister’s (second) inaugural speech on October 19, he multiplied the legislative proposals: Bill 11 on access to doctors’ data, Bill 28 on the end of the state of health emergency … Only problem: the elected representative of La Prairie is “draft”, according to the elected representative Vincent Marissal. His Bill 61 on infrastructure projects, decried by the Barreau du Québec and the Auditor General, is proof of this, believe the opposition. No less than five of the bills tabled by the former president of the Treasury Board died on the order paper, including the expected one on the expansion of medical assistance in dying.
Simon Jolin Barrette The minister with many hats receives the consolation prize, with ten bills tabled, one less than Mr. Dubé. He is behind some of the most far-reaching — and controversial — reforms of the 42e legislature. He signed and defended the bill on the secularism of the Quebec state (Bill 21) and the bill on the official and common language of Quebec, French (Bill 96). His immigration bill (Bill 9), adopted under a gag order, is also far from having won unanimous support. Then time ran out: he had to split his family law reform to ensure that certain provisions were adopted before adjournment.
Among the ministers who served from the beginning to the end of the mandate, Isabelle Charest, Nadine Girault and Chantal Roll have never legislated.
elected officials in demand Some ministers who stand out less for their legislative activity are none the less busy. According to data compiled by the National Assembly, the Minister of Education, Jean-Francois Roberge, is one of those who had to get up most often in the Blue Room to answer questions from opposition parliamentary groups. He did it 208 times in three years (end of 2018-end of 2021). The Minister of Economy, Peter Fitzgibbon (125 times), and the Minister of Health, then of Higher Education, Danielle McCann (122 times), are not left out.
The CAQ, hyperactive?
Was the first caquiste mandate loaded on the legislative level? Short answer: not so much. François Legault’s team is the majority government that has introduced the fewest bills in 20 years, with 138. In comparison, in his third term (2008-2012), Jean Charest’s team introduced 199.
The Legault government can boast of having been more thorough than average: 9% of its bills died on the order paper. This is less than the government of Philippe Couillard (14%) and the third of Jean Charest (15%).
Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic cut off the momentum of the CAQ ministers. The National Assembly did not sit between mid-March and mid-April 2020. It took almost two months after the declaration of the state of health emergency for a new bill to be presented in the Chamber .
The CAQ, not used to gags, but…
The gesture made an impression: on June 16, 2019 in the early morning, the CAQ government adopted its controversial immigration reform under a gag order. It was the first time he had used this parliamentary tool to cut short the debate in the National Assembly. He would do so three other times, among other things to adopt the Act respecting the secularism of the Quebec state (21) and the Act to reform school governance (40).
Four gags is not much compared to previous governments. Philippe Couillard used the gag twice as much as François Legault. For his part, Jean Charest used it 20 times during his first mandate (2003-2007).
Failed reforms… or abandoned
Reform of the PEQ The former Minister of Immigration Simon Jolin-Barrette claims to have come out “shaken”. In November 2019, it limited by regulation access to the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) — which allows certain foreign students to obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) more quickly — which sparked strong reactions among newcomers. Pushed against the wall by the protest, he backed down a few days later and repealed his rules.
Bill 61 Minister Christian Dubé aimed to modify the law in order to accelerate the realization of economic projects in the midst of the end of the health crisis. He touched a sensitive chord. The omnibus bill he introduced in June 2020 gave the executive undue powers, opposition groups have repeated. He threatened democracy, supported the Barreau du Québec. After failing to pass the bill in the spring of 2020, the government introduced a new version (Bill 66) the following fall. This quickly obtained the consent of parliamentarians.
Voting system reform Prime Minister François Legault, then in opposition, had pledged, signature in support, to reform the voting system. Four years later, it is nothing. His proposal tabled in 2019 has never been the subject of a detailed study in parliamentary committee. After promising a referendum on the voting system, the Legault government simply gave up on its promise, a week before Christmas last year.
Expansion of medical assistance in dying The Act respecting end-of-life care has not been reopened since its adoption in 2014, but parliamentarians had every intention of amending it. In a bill tabled two weeks before the end of the legislature, the Minister of Health proposed to allow people affected by neurodegenerative diseases to access medical assistance in dying. He also intended to enshrine advance requests in the law. However, time ran out. Bill 38 died on the order paper Friday.
Revision of Hydro rate increases In December 2019, the CAQ government adopted Bill 34 under a gag order “to simplify the process for establishing electricity distribution rates”. He didn’t make his life easier. Three years later, Hydro’s rates could rise by 4% or 5% because of their indexation to the consumer price index. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonatan Julien, tried to correct the situation by proposing to cap the increase in hydroelectricity charges this week, but his bill was not adopted in time.
More — and less — popular petitions
The members of the National Assembly have the possibility of depositing petitions carried by citizens.
The most popular petition was presented by caquiste Youri Chassin. Its 119,875 signatories asked the Government of Quebec to study the possibility of offering vitamin C infusions to “mitigate the effects of chemotherapy” on cancer patients.
Two petitions opposed to the health passport were submitted to the Blue Room. The first was supported by nearly 13,000 people (Lorraine Richard, September 11, 2021); the second, 118,000 signatures (Claire Samson, September 23, 2021).
The least popular petition was signed by four people. Filed by Liberal Gregory Kelley, she asked for the postponement of the reopening of the Lac des Pins campsite, in Montérégie, due to the health emergency.