Assemblee Nationale Quebec.

• Author: Ford, Sylvia

The parliamentary reform of April 2009 improved citizens right to petition by allowing for electronic petitions, launched and signed via the National Assembly Internet site. The official roll-out of this new way of petitioning took place on December 3, 2009. Over the course of the month, eight electronic petitions were launched, and collected almost 25,000 signatures. The first presentation of electronic petitions will occur in February 2010, when the National Assembly resumes sitting.

A further element in the parliamentary reform requires the government to respond to petitions presented in the National Assembly. In accordance with the deadlines set out in the Standing Orders, six of the petitions presented this Fall have now received a government response.

Parliamentary proceedings

Under the new parliamentary calendar adopted in April 2009, the Assembly recessed on Friday, December 4, 2009. This enabled the Members to do a final week of work in their ridings before the Christmas holiday.

By the time they recessed, the Members of the National Assembly had passed 24 public bills, including one private Member's bill, and five private bills.

Make-up of the National Assembly

Eric Caire, MNA for La Peltrie; and Marc Picard, MNA for Chutes-de-la-Chaudiere, both members of Action Democratique du Quebec, left their party to sit as independents on November 6, 2009.

Jean D'Amour, MNA for Riviere-du-Loup, left the Quebec Liberal Party to sit as an independent on November 10, 2009. He rejoined the Liberal caucus on December 23, 2009.

Gerard Deltell, Action Democratique du Quebec MNA for Chauveau, became leader of the second-largest opposition party on November 19, 2009. Camil Bouchard, Parti Quebecois MNA for Vachon, announced his resignation on December 14, 2009. It took effect on January 6, 2010.

The distribution of seats in the National Assembly is now as follows: Liberal Party of Quebec, 67 MNAs; Parti Quebecois, 50 MNAs; Action Democratique du Quebec, 4 MNAs; Quebec Solidaire, 1 MNA; independents, 2 MNAs; and one vacant seat.

Speaker's rulings

On November 10 and 11, 2009, the Chair handed down two rulings. One pertained to the decision by two MNAs belonging to the second-largest opposition party to sit as independents, and the other established their allotted speaking time and their rights of intervention in the Chamber.

As part of the parliamentary reform of April 2009, the Assembly unanimously adopted temporary new rules governing the recognition of political parties and the organization of parliamentary proceedings. These rules provide not only for the recognition of Action Democratique du Quebec as a party, but also for the allocation of rights of intervention among opposition MNAs during the 39th Legislature.

The Chair said that it intended to respect the...