Quebec: Assemblee Nationale.

• Author: Nancy Ford

On 19 June 1996, the National Assembly adjourned its proceedings for the summer break having held 41 sittings since the beginning of the new session. During this period, a considerable number of bills were passed, including 37 public bills and 8 private ones. This includes a bill creating the Ministere de la Metropole, whose mission is to promote and support the economic, cultural and social development of metropolitan Montreal.

The Assembly also examined a bill respecting pay equity. The purpose of this bill is to redress the salary discrimination suffered by persons occupying positions in predominantly female job classes. The bill is currently being considered in committee, where special consultations are also being held. As regards the bill establishing a universal drug insurance plan, it was passed following the suspension of certain rules of procedure.

Under the plan, every person residing in Quebec who is registered with the Quebec Health Insurance Board will benefit from basic coverage for the cost of pharmaceutical services and medications. The bill sets out the contributions to be made to the financing of the basic plan by the persons covered, who may be required to pay a co-insurance amount of not more than 25 % of the cost of the pharmaceutical services and medications provided up to a maximum contribution of $ 750 for a one-year reference period.

The provisions of this Act come into force on January 1,1997. However, persons aged 65 and over as well as welfare recipients are subjected to these provisions as of August 1, 1996 and thus have to pay a premium and a deductible amount according to their income.

The passage of two other bills should also be highlighted: a bill that amends the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms in order to secure the right to equality, without exclusion based on sexual orientation, as regards the establishment of contracts and plans relating to insurance, retirement pensions or other social benefits; and a bill that amends the Civil Code with respect to the obligation of support, which corrects what was considered to be an injustice towards elderly persons who were obliged to pay support to relatives other than those in the first degree.

In addition these of legislative measures, Members were also asked to approve the budgetary policy of the Government following the Budget Speech delivered on May 9, 1996 by the Minister of Finance, Bernard Landry.

Numerous directives were issued by the Chair in the last few months. Indeed, many procedural cases were brought to the forefront at various legislative stages of the debates on...