Assemblee nationale Quebec.

• Author: Lamarche, Francine Boivin

On June 16, 2000, the National Assembly adjourned for the summer after having adopted, since the resumption of proccedings in March, some forty public bills (five of which were passed within the framework of a motion to suspend rules moved the day before the adjournment of the House) and close to a dozen private bills. It should be noted that the Act to establish a national identification card, which was mentioned in our previous report has not yet been passed.

The following are among the principal bills of the session:

* the Act to provide for balanced budgets in the public health and social services network, which enacts measures requiring public institutions to maintain a balanced budget

* the Act to amend the Act respecting prescription drug insurance and the Act respecting the Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec, which amends certain rules applicable to the financing of the basic prescription drug insurance plan as regards the maximum amount of the annual premium. This plan, which guarantees to beneficiaries the payment of pharmaceutical services and prescription drugs provided to them in Quebec regardless of health-related risk, requires that persons or families benefitting from the plan pay according to their economic situation.

* the Fire Safety Act, which determines the parameters of fire safety in its main aspects, namely fire prevention, emergency response procedures and operations, training of personnel, and the determination of the point of origin, probable causes and circumstances of fires;

* the Police Act (drafted following the holding of a public investigation committee), while promoting basic training and skills in police patrolling, police investigation and police management, also provides that all police chiefs will be required to establish a professional training plan for their police force, and update it annually.

* the Act to amend the Act respecting municipal territorial organization and other legislative provisions, which provides for various measures to foster, in particular, the amalgamation of territories of local municipalities and also provides for adjustments to the equalization scheme in respect of certain municipalities;

* the Act respecting the Communaute metropolitaine de Montreal, which defines the territory in which the new Community is authorized to act, and determines its organization, powers and jurisdiction, together with the rules governing its financial administration. The bill assigns jurisdiction to the Community in several areas, including land use planning, economic development, social housing, equipment, infrastructures, services and activities of metropolitan scope, public transportation and residual materials management planning. Public hearings will have to be held before the passage of the bill establishing the new Community, as these hearings were unable to be scheduled before the adjournment of proceedings.

* the Act respecting Nasdaq Stock exchange activities in Quebec, which recognizes The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., a company incorporated in the United States, for the purpose of stock market activities in Quebec;

* the Act to amend the Act respecting the Ministere du Revenu as regards the suspension of recovery measures, which modifies the Quebec tax system to provide for the suspension of recovery measures when an objection or an appeal is filed by a taxpayer. The bill allows for a taxpayer in certain cases to apply for the repayment of an amount paid or the discharge of security given. By adopting this Bill, the Revenue ministry, strongly supported by the opposition, aimed principally to counter the inequity to which were subject Quebec taxpayers who were faced with paying an amount and were obliged to pay this sum to the Revenue ministry before having had the opportunity to defend their case. The suspension of recovery measures shall apply to all taxpayers: individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, etc. However, in the case of large businesses, the ministry shall have the right to take measures to recover 50 % of the amount in controversy.

* the Dam...