Legislative reports: Assemblee Nationale Quebec.

On March 12, 2002, Louise Harel was elected President of the National Assembly by secret ballot. This was the second time the Assembly used the secret ballot procedure. Only one round was required for Mrs. Harel to obtain the majority of votes.

Mrs. Harel is the first woman and the fifty-third person to hold this office since 1792. The Member for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve was elected for the first time in 1981, and subsequently reelected in 1985, 1989, 1994 and 1998. She has held several ministerial and parliamentary offices, particularly as Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Greater Montreal, Minister of State for Employment and Solidarity, Minister of Income Security, and Minister responsible for Immigration and Cultural Communities.

Mrs. Harel thus succeeds Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, who, on 30 January 2002, resigned from his office in order to join the Cabinet.

Francois Beaulne was elected Second Vice-President at the sitting. Mr. Beaulne thus joins incumbent vice-presidents Raymond Brouillet and Michel Bissonnet.

Second Centenary of the Library of the National Assembly

It was on March 10, 1802 that the Quebec Members established their first library. On that day, the Members adopted a resolution entrusting the administration of the collection to the Clerk of the House of Assembly, Samuel Phillips.

This anniversary constitutes a unique occasion to focus the population's attention on the history of Quebec parliamentarism and of the Library. By the same token, it provides an opportunity to mark the work performed by the past and current members of the Library staff, which contributes on a daily basis to the quality of the debates by meeting the information and documentation requirements of Members, the employees of the Assembly, the Press Gallery journalists and researchers, while contributing to the extension of the Library's influence and to the promotion of our documentary heritage.

Several activities and special publications mark this second centenary. First, the Library opened, in its newly renovated quarters, an exhibition on the persons who have been responsible for the Library throughout its existence. Furthermore, four conferences and seminars have been organized on the following themes:

* April 9, 2002: Conference on assistance to parliamentary libraries in developing countries

* May 16, 2002: Conference on the history of the Library

* September 24, 2002: Seminar on the history of parliamentary libraries

* October 31, 2002...