The National Assembly of Quebec in the Digital Era.

• Author: Gretas, Catherine

Since the launch of its website in 1995, the National Assembly of Quebec has been a leader in using online technology to reach out to citizens. In this article, the authors decribe efforts to launch and accept online petitions, online comments and citizen consultation of proposed legislation, and the more recent growth of social media networking. They conclude by noting the special attention paid towards responsible social media use and how this new technology can bring about effective communication between the people and their government.

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To better inform citizens and increase their participation in the workings of their Parliament, the National Assembly of Quebec launched its website in 1995. In 2010, the site was overhauled to enable Quebecers to participate more directly in the democratic process; in 2012 we went one step further when we chose to be present on social media. For years now, the National Assembly's use of technology has facilitated both parliamentary business and citizen involvement through online petitions, comments and consultations, not to mention our official Facebook page and Twitter account.

Online Petitions Popular with Citizens

Since 2009, citizens have been able to express their views by signing petitions on the National Assembly website. Anyone seeking redress for a grievance can start an online petition, which can then be signed by others sharing the same concern and, ultimately, be tabled in the House by a Member. To be valid, however, an electronic petition must have been launched and signed on our website, which posts the number of people having signed in real time, but discloses no other information about them.

In 2013-2014, 100 e-petitions bearing more than 360,000 signatures were presented. By contrast, the 135 or so petitions presented that same year in paper form contained only about 180,350 signatures (See Table 1).

Online Comments Facilitate Parliamentary Business

The National Assembly website also allows users to comment online on any bill or subject being studied in a parliamentary committee, even if the committee's mandate is not being submitted for public consultation. They simply choose the mandate or bill that interests them and complete a form online. The Members can read these comments on the Clerks' site, a virtual library...