Assemblee Nationale: Quebec.

• Author: Bolduc, Nicole
• Position: Legislative Reports

National Assembly

General election and composition of the Assembly

The composition of the National Assembly has been as follows since the general election of April 7, 2014: Quebec Liberal Party, 70 seats; Parti quebecois, 30 seats; Coalition avenir Quebec, 22 seats; 3 independent Members were elected under the banner of Quebec solidaire.

The first session of the 41st legislature began on May 20, 2014. The sole candidate for the office of President, Jacques Chagnon, Member for Westmount-Saint-Louis, was declared elected for a third term of office.

Passage of bills and debate on the budget speech

During the short sessional period which ended on June 13, 2014, the Assembly passed five bills:

Bill 52, An Act respecting end-of-life care, which was carried over almost in its entirety from the previous legislature;

Bill 1, An Act respecting the inspector general of Ville de Montreal;

Bill 4, An Act to amend the Act authorizing the making of collective agreements with a term of more than three years in the public and parapublic sectors;

Bill 5, An Act to amend the Act to limit oil and gas activities and other legislative provisions; and

Bill 7, An Act to ratify the agreement relating to the conduct of proceedings in the National Assembly and in parliamentary committees as well as to parliamentary offices and budgetary aspects for the duration of the 41st Legislature.

The debate on the budget speech concluded at the last sitting and, following a recorded division, the motion by the Minister of Finance for the Assembly to approve the Government's budgetary policy was carried.

Directive and rulings by the President

On May 26, 2014, the President gave a directive on the management of oral question period and the distribution of control measures and speaking times for statements by Members, debates upon adjournment, business standing in the name of Members in opposition and interpellations, as well as on the distribution of speaking times for adjournment debates.

On June 13, 2014, the President gave a ruling on a complaint of breach of privilege or contempt raised by the Member for Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques. In her notice, the Member alleged that the Member for Jean-Lesage had addressed her using an inappropriate tone of voice while making an intimidating gesture at her. The President recalled that, as established by jurisprudence, he must accept a Member's word even though the situation calls into question certain elements that he himself did not...