Quebec.

• Author: Bolduc, Nicole
• Position: Legislative Reports

National Assembly proceedings

Composition of the Assembly

On October 22, 2015, Parti Quebecois MNA Stephane Bedard handed in his resignation as Member for the electoral division of Chicoutimi. Furthermore, the following candidates were elected in the by-elections held on November 9, 2015: Paul Busque, Quebec Liberal Party candidate in the riding of Beauce-Sud, Monique Sauve, Quebec Liberal Party candidate in the riding of Fabre, Martin Ouellet, Parti Quebecois candidate in the riding of Rene-Levesque, and Dominique Anglade, Quebec Liberal Party candidate in the riding of Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne. The new Members officially took their seats in the National Assembly on November 17, 2015.

The composition of the Assembly is now as follows: Quebec Liberal Party, 71 Members; Parti Quebecois, 29 Members; Coalition Avenir Quebec, 20 Members; 4 independent Members, three of whom sit under the Quebec Solidaire banner; and one vacant seat (electoral division of Chicoutimi).

Bills passed

During the sessional period that ended on December 4, 2015, the Assembly passed 21 bills (17 public and 4 private). Notable among these are:

* Bill 20, An Act to enact the Act to promote access to family medicine and specialized medicine services and to amend various legislative provisions relating to assisted procreation;

* Bill 54, An Act to improve the legal situation of animals;

* Bill 78, An Act to regulate the granting of transition allowances to Members who resign during their term of office.

Directive and rulings from the Chair

Among the directives given by the Chair, the directive of October 21, 2015, followed a question raised by the Deputy Government House Leader on October 6, 2015, concerning written questions that were made public before being published in the Order Paper and Notices. The Chair indicated that jurisprudence is silent on whether the content of written questions placed on the Order Paper and Notices may be disclosed before the Order Paper and Notices is published. However, decisions have been handed down on whether a bill can be made public before it is introduced in the Assembly. A Member may definitely disclose the subject of a bill he or she intends to introduce and even release a broad outline. However, given that written questions must be placed on the Order Paper and Notices and that the Order Paper and Notices is confidential until published, the text of a written question may not be disclosed before the Order Paper and Notices...