Quebec.

• Author: Ford, Sylvia
• Position: ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE

Upon the adjournment of proceedings on December 14, 2006, the members of the National Assembly had passed 26 public bills and 10 private bills, and this, since the resumption of proceedings last October 17.

Among the 26 public bills, four were passed following the adoption of a motion to suspend certain rules of procedure on December 12, 2006. They are: the Act to amend the Act respecting health services and social services and other legislative provisions, whose purpose is to improve the accessibility of specialized and superspecialized medical services; the Act respecting the implementation of the Quebec Energy Strategy and amending various legislative provisions, whose main objective is to follow up on the measures announced in Quebec's Energy Strategy made public on May 4, 2006; the Act to amend the Forest Act and other legislative provisions and providing for special provisions applicable to the Territory of application of chapter 3 of the Agreement Concerning a New Relationship Between Le Gouvernement du Quebec and the Crees of Quebec for the Years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, whose main object is to establish new rules governing forest management activities in forests in the domain of the State; and the Act to amend the Act respecting hours and days of admission to commercial establishments, which sets out special rules for grocery stores.

On November 30, 2006, the Assembly unanimously carried a motion moved jointly by the premier, the leader of the Official Opposition, and the leader of the Action democratique du Quebec in relation to the motion carried by the House of Commons recognizing that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.

Last November 15, as he had announced last August, Jean-Pierre Charbonneau resigned as Member for the electoral division of Borduas. Also on this date, Diane Legault resigned as Member for the electoral division of Chambly. These resignations leave two vacant seats at the Assembly, whose composition is now as follows: Quebec Liberal Party, 72 Members; Parti Quebecois, 45 Members; independent, six Members, five of whom are from the Action democratique du Quebec.

Interparliamentary Relations

The Member for Charlesbourg and Chair of the Committee on Democracy and Peace of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA), Eric R. Mercier, led a COPA electoral observation mission from November 2-6, 2006. After having observed the Brazilian elections last September, the COPA parliamentarians travelled to Nicaragua to observe the conduct of the presidential and legislative elections held there on November 5. Eight other parliamentarians from Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador and Paraguay were part of the delegation. The latter were accompanied by the assistant to the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec, Francine Barry.

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