Quebec.

• Author: Larochelle, Anne-Marie
• Position: Legislative Reports

Extraordinary sitting

On May 29, 2017, at the request of Premier Philippe Couillard, the National Assembly held an extraordinary sitting to permit the introduction of Bill 142, An Act to ensure the resumption of work in the construction industry and the settlement of disputes for the renewal of the collective agreements. After some 18 sitting hours the bill was passed on the following division: Yeas 76, Nays 21, Abstentions 0.

Composition of the National Assembly

On April 27, 2017, Sam Hamad, Member of the parliamentary group forming the Government (Quebec Liberal Party), announced his resignation as Member for the electoral division of Louis-Hebert.

On May 16, 2017, Gaetan Lelievre, Member for the electoral division of Gaspe, was removed from the Parti Quebecois caucus and now sits as an independent Member.

On May 29, 2017, a by-election was held in the electoral division of Gouin, which had become vacant following the resignation of Francoise David. The candidate who replaced her under the Quebec Solidaire banner, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, was elected. He officially took his seat in the National Assembly at the sitting of June 6, 2017.

The composition of the National Assembly stands as follows: Quebec Liberal Party, 68 Members; Parti Quebecois, 28 Members; Coalition avenir Quebec, 20 Members; 3 Members sitting under the Quebec Solidaire banner; and 5 independent Members. One seat remains vacant.

Estimates of expenditure and passage of Appropriation Act No. 2, 2017-2018

On April 11, 2017, the debate on the budget speech ended with recorded divisions on the Government's budgetary policy and on the motions stating a grievance moved within the framework of this debate. On May 10, 2017, after the consideration of the estimates of expenditure by the standing committees, the Assembly examined the estimates of the Assembly in Committee of the Whole. It then adopted the 2017-2018 estimates, as well as Bill 136, Appropriation Act No. 2, 2017-2018, during the same sitting.

Bills passed

From April to June 2017, the National Assembly passed 15 bills, five of which were private bills. Nine of these bills, including four private bills, were passed unanimously. Among the bills passed, the following should be noted:

* Bill 98, An Act to amend various legislation mainly with respect to admission to professions and the governance of the professional system;

* Bill 113, An Act to amend the Civil Code and other legislative provisions as regards adoption and the...