Start of parliamentary session: what to expect?
As the summer season draws to a close, MNAs are leaving their regions and quietly heading back to the National Assembly, which resumes sitting on September 12. The Catapulte team has prepared a summary of the major issues that will be in the spotlight this autumn within the walls, and surely also in the corridors, of parliament.
Health
Bill 15
Although the imposing reform received little attention over the summer, it has raised high expectations among many organizations in the healthcare sector, particularly those promoting home support for seniors. Several groups have complained of a lack of consideration due to specific consultations that disregard their experience and knowledge of realities in the field. Among the obstacles likely to overshadow its political will is the government's difficulty in adapting to technological advances and finally leaving the fax machine to the chronicles of the past.
While he raises the possibility of a gag order, Minister Dubé says he wants to pass substantial amendments to harmonize the few false notes contained in his bill, which proposes a complete overhaul of the healthcare system's structure. Stay tuned!
Transport
Road safety bill
A strategy to improve road safety over the next five years was expected last June. The plan, which has just been announced, includes measures to ensure the safety of children around schools, the vulnerable (the elderly, pedestrians and cyclists), and investment in equipment to monitor and reduce speed on our roads. Minister Geneviève Guilbault hinted that a bill would be needed to implement the 27 measures contained in her strategy.
In the wake of a tragic road toll published by the Sûreté du Québec following the construction vacations, the issue of blood alcohol levels has once again sparked passionate debate, without however leading to any concrete solutions. Indeed, there is currently no indication that new regulations will be proposed in the near future.
Home
Bill 31
Tabled on the very last day of the parliamentary session, the An Act to amend various legislative provisions respecting housing was eagerly awaited, especially as the moving season approaches. Taking many housing stakeholders by surprise, the bill has certainly caused a stir. The bill's provision on lease assignment has attracted the most criticism, with plans to give landlords more power over rental prices. It also tightens eviction conditions to limit the number of tenants facing illegal eviction, including the notorious renovations. With the housing crisis and inflationary pressures, exorbitant rent and house prices, rising mortgage rates and a lack of supply on the market, it goes without saying that housing will continue to dominate the headlines this session, as the Minister of Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, has said she is open to changes to her bill. She announced new consultations aimed at finding solutions to the housing crisis.
Economy and Energy
Clean energy development bill
Dams, not dams? Sobriety and energy efficiency? Nuclear power out of the question? Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, intends to modernize Quebec's energy sector at a time when electricity surpluses are dwindling and the electrification of transport and industry is forcing us to make choices about our production model for the future. And there's no shortage of ambition, given that the "super-minister" recently declared that Quebec should halve the number of cars on its roads: during the election campaign, the government pledged to increase Hydro-Québec's current capacity by half, to 100 TWh, in order to achieve its carbon-neutral goal by 2050. The legislative changes introduced by Minister Fitzgibbon should, at the very least, amend the Hydro-Québec Act and the Act respecting the Régie de l'énergie. While business rates - the "famous" Rate L - would be included, the Premier made it clear that residential rates would remain untouched.
Education
Bill 23 on public education
Minister Drainville will be back in the fall with his reform of school governance, at a time when education news in August is hotter than ever. The bill essentially modifies the organization of school service centers, centralizing their appointments in the hands of the Minister and making their managers accountable. However, we can imagine that this bill will not necessarily be the focus of the Minister's attention this autumn. Between the staff shortage, the ban on cell phones in the classroom and the reform of the ECR course, there is no shortage of issues at stake. Bernard Drainville had an eventful start to his mandate, a trend that looks set to continue.
Work
Construction industry reform bill
The Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, is preparing legislation to modernize the construction industry. In various forums, he has not hesitated to share the aims of his eventual bill: to facilitate recognition of prior learning and skills, to promote access to employment for under-represented groups, to increase productivity, to support innovation, and so on. The construction industry is no exception, and the labour shortage is probably the biggest challenge facing companies in this sector. Unions and other industry stakeholders have indicated their readiness to intervene during the consultations, and are eagerly awaiting the bill, which is expected to be tabled this autumn.
Immigration
Public consultation on immigration targets
A promise made, a promise kept. Minister Fréchette had declared in the spring that Quebec's immigration targets would be the subject of a fall consultation, which will begin in mid-September. Two scenarios are on the table: maintaining the annual threshold of 50,000 immigrants for the next four years, or gradually increasing it to 60,000 by 2027. While François Legault had declared during the election campaign that it would be "suicidal" to increase immigration targets, the Minister is taking a cautious approach to win public opinion and expert approval. Increasing economic immigration targets has been called for by employers, who are struggling to recruit workers, and feared by French language advocates, who fear its impact on the linguistic situation. On this subject, the government has finally chosen to impose a knowledge of French on candidates for economic immigration. To be continued in mid-September: the start of these consultations, which have already aroused a great deal of interest among stakeholders, since 72 briefs have been submitted and 66 groups have asked to be heard in committee.
Environment
Water management
The summer was an opportunity to revive the debate on water management. A sadly rainy summer season ironically failed to save drinking water, as many municipalities are faced with major asset maintenance deficits, reflected in the poor condition of their pipes, resulting in the loss of drinking water or, conversely, the overflow of wastewater into watercourses. The City of Montreal is looking for new sources of funding to help it absorb its maintenance deficit, a subject that is likely to ricochet all the way to the National Assembly as Quebec's eleven largest cities gather on September 7 for a Municipal Tax Summit to prepare for the renegotiation of the 2024 Fiscal Pact.
Emerging contaminants
Per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances, better known as PFAS, are among the emerging contaminants that have periodically made headlines since a series of reports on the TV show Survey published last winter and spring. These "eternal pollutants" are found in food, clothing and many other everyday consumer products for their anti-stain, non-stick, flame-retardant and waterproofing properties. But it's their concentration in the drinking water of Quebec municipalities that has recently caused concern. The Quebec government has no standards for PFAS in drinking water, and their analysis in water distributed by public networks is not mandatory. Should we expect regulatory changes if specialists and the public keep up the pressure? Health Canada, for its part, recommends a target of 30 nanograms per liter (ng/l) - but this is a recommendation, not a standard.
Nature 2030 Plan
The 2023-2024 budget set aside no less than 443 million $ over five years to roll out the Nature 2030 Plan, a commitment made with great fanfare by the Legault government at the COP15 on biodiversity hosted by Montreal in December 2022. The Plan is Quebec City's response to the new global conservation target of 30 % of land by 2030. Environmental organizations will be keeping a close eye on the initiatives funded by the Nature Plan, as issues such as the protection of woodland caribou - whose strategy was once again postponed last June - and the potential impact of energy development projects on biodiversity are sure to be in the news.
Agriculture
National discussion on farmland protection
An open letter signed in June by André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, announces a major national consultation on agricultural land and activities. A summary report will be published in March 2024 at the end of these discussions, the aim of which is to draw up a status report and recommendations for the Ministry. Ultimately, this exercise aims to modernize the Act respecting the protection of agricultural land and agricultural activities. Will Minister Lamontagne be opening a Pandora's box to developers eyeing farmland for future development? No. Instead, he assures us that his goal is to ensure Quebec's ability to feed its population and preserve the vitality of its territory.
Modernization of the Farming Regulations
Led by the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, the co-creation project - with the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation - seeks to modernize the Règlement sur les exploitations agricoles (REA). Resulting from a temporary moratorium on the spreading of biosolids in the United States, the work will update farming practices by targeting more sustainable objectives adapted to today's reality (livestock and storage facilities, fertilization management, watershed thinking, etc.). The various consultation and information activities will run until autumn.
