Assemblee Nationale: Quebec.

• Author: Lamarche, Francine Boivin
• Position: Legislative Reports - Conference notes

On September 24, 2007, the new Leader of the Patti Quebecois, Pauline Marois, was elected in the Electoral Division of Charlevoix, which had become vacant last August 14 following the decision by Rosaire Bertrand to step down. Accordingly, the composition of the Assembly stands as follows: Quebec Liberal Party, 48 Members; Action democratique, 41 Members; Parti Quebecois, 36 Members.

Two former Members passed away in September 2007. Carrier Fortin was the Liberal Party Member for the Electoral Division of Sherbrooke and Minister of Labour from 1963 to 1966, and Fabien Cordeau, of the Union nationale, was the Member for the Electoral Division of Saint-Hyacinthe from 1976 to 1981.

National Assembly channel

To further enrich the program schedule of its channel, last July the Assembly launched seven new video vignettes on the services it provides to Members and citizens and on its heritage conservation. These vignettes focus on the following themes: the broadcasting of parliamentary debates; the National Assembly's communications tools; the parliamentary institution's Library; the statues and ornaments adorning the premises of the Parliament Building; the interior ornaments on display in this heritage building; the history of the Parliament Building; the Central Tower of the Parliament.

In the same perspective, the second season of Memoires de deputes was launched last September 9. This programme features former Quebec parliamentarians providing sensitive and sometimes humourous insight into the more memorable events of their career. To mark this event, the invited guest was former Minister Victor Charles Goldbloom, who was the first Cabinet member to hold the office of Minister of the Environment in 1973.

Interparliamentary Relations

Last August 12 to 15 at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Regional Conference of the Council of State Governments (ERC) President Michel Bissonnet welcomed some 800 delegates to Quebec City to discuss the theme Regional Challenges, Innovative Opportunities: Sharing State-Province Expertise and to take part in workshops on agriculture, trade and border security with the United States, education, energy and the environment, criminal justice, health as well as transportation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, important resolutions were adopted, particularly with regard to climate change, the passport requirement at the Canada-United States border, the promotion of train and maritime transportation as well as the...