The Legault government finally decided to adopt a decree to force the adoption of Bill 15 on health. The voluminous bill of 1,180 articles will therefore be imposed by a gag order in Parliament on Saturday.
“Listen, Christian Dubé has been listening to the opposition’s suggestions for 238 hours, do you think it still takes? », justified Prime Minister François Legault before the question period.
The use of a gag order could force deputies to sit late this evening, or even tonight, with a view to adoption on Saturday, also late. This exceptional procedure will be launched during a special session of Parliament on Friday afternoon.
This is not the first time that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) has forced the adoption of a bill under gag order. During the first mandate, she even used it four times, for the Law on secularism and that on the deregulation of Hydro-Québec rates in particular.
Bill 15 includes a vast reform of the health system focused on the creation of an agency (Santé Québec) which will coordinate all the network’s operations.
“It’s time to take action”
Earlier this week, the CAQ proposed to the oppositions to extend the session by a few days to adopt it on Thursday or Friday. Offers which were ultimately rejected by the Parti Québécois.
Even if the government has a majority, the Code of Parliamentary Procedure forces the CAQ majority to obtain the consent of all the deputies (and oppositions) to thus modify the calendar of the National Assembly.
The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, indicated, at the start of the month of August, that he was determined that Bill 15 would be adopted before the holidays so that the agency’s activities could begin quickly in 2024. “It is time to take action,” he said during the question period Friday morning.
More details will follow.
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