The Fall Parliamentary Session Is Here

The start of the parliamentary session: what to expect?

Summer is drawing to a close, members of the National Assembly are leaving their regions and gradually making their way back to Quebec City, where the session resumes on September 12. The Catapulte team has prepared a summary of the major issues that will take centre stage this fall within (and undoubtedly in the corridors of) the legislature.

Health

Bill 15

Although this sweeping reform received little attention over the summer, it has generated strong expectations within many healthcare organizations, particularly those that advocate for home care services for seniors. It is worth noting that several groups have expressed frustration over a lack of consideration during targeted consultations that disregarded their on-the-ground experience and expertise. Among the obstacles that could undermine the government’s political will is its difficulty adapting to technological advances and finally relegating the fax machine to the annals of history.

While the prospect of closure looms, Minister Dube says he wants to pass substantial amendments to iron out the few discordant notes in his bill, which proposes a complete overhaul of the healthcare system’s structure. Stay tuned!

Transportation

Road Safety Bill

A strategy to improve road safety over the next five years had been expected last June. This recently announced plan includes measures to ensure the safety of children around schools, the safety of vulnerable road users (elderly, pedestrians, and cyclists), as well as investment in equipment designed to monitor and reduce speeds on our roads. Minister Genevieve Guilbault indicated that legislation would be needed to implement the 27 measures contained in her strategy.

Following a tragic road safety report published by the Surete du Quebec after the construction holiday period, the issue of blood alcohol limits once again sparked passionate debate without producing any concrete solutions. Indeed, nothing currently suggests that new regulations will be proposed in the near future.

Housing

Bill 31

Tabled on the very last day of the parliamentary session, the Act to amend various legislative provisions concerning housing was long overdue, particularly as moving season approached. Catching many housing stakeholders off guard, the bill certainly generated a great deal of commentary. Its lease assignment provisions have drawn the harshest criticism, as they would give landlords greater power over rental pricing. The bill also tightens eviction conditions to limit the number of tenants facing unlawful evictions, including the notorious renovictions. With the housing crisis, inflationary pressures, sky-high rents and home prices, rising mortgage rates, and a scarcity of supply on the market, housing will undoubtedly continue to dominate headlines this session, as Housing Minister France-Elaine Duranceau has indicated her openness to amendments. She has announced new consultations aimed at finding solutions to the housing crisis.

Economy and Energy

Clean Energy Development Bill

Dams or no dams? Energy sobriety and efficiency? Is nuclear power an option to be ruled out? The Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, intends to modernize Quebec’s energy sector at a time when electricity surpluses are shrinking and the electrification of transportation and industry is forcing us to make choices about our production model for the future. Ambition is hardly lacking: the « super-minister » recently declared that Quebec should cut the number of cars on its roads in half. During the election campaign, the government had committed to increasing Hydro-Quebec’s current capacity by half (100 TWh) to achieve its carbon neutrality target by 2050. The legislative changes introduced by Minister Fitzgibbon should at a minimum amend the Hydro-Quebec Act and the Act respecting the Regie de l’energie. If corporate pricing (the « famous » Rate L) were to be included, the Premier was quick to clarify that residential pricing would remain untouched.

Education

Bill 23 on Public Education

Minister Drainville will return in the fall with his school governance reform, at a time when education news this August is hotter than ever. The bill essentially modifies the organization of school service centres to centralize appointments in the minister’s hands and make their leaders accountable. One can nonetheless imagine that this bill will not necessarily be the one capturing the minister’s attention this fall. Between the labour shortage, the ban on cellphones in class, and the reform of the ECR course, there is no shortage of issues. Bernard Drainville has had an eventful start to his mandate, and that trend shows no sign of letting up.

Labour

Construction Industry Reform Bill

Labour Minister Jean Boulet is preparing legislation to modernize the construction industry. On various platforms, he has not hesitated to outline the aims of his forthcoming bill: facilitating recognition of prior learning and competencies, promoting employment access for underrepresented groups, increasing productivity, supporting innovation, and more. The construction industry is no exception: the labour shortage is probably the greatest challenge facing companies in the sector. Unions and other industry stakeholders have indicated they are ready to participate in consultations and are eagerly awaiting this bill, which is expected to be tabled this fall.

Immigration

Public Consultation on Immigration Targets

A promise is a promise. Minister Frechette had announced in the spring that Quebec’s immigration targets would be the subject of a fall consultation, and it 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 reach 60,000 by 2027. While Francois Legault had declared during the election campaign that raising immigration targets would be « suicidal, » the minister is taking a cautious approach to win over public opinion and gain expert approval. Increased economic immigration targets are being called for by employers struggling to recruit workers, and feared by defenders of the French language who worry about the impact on the linguistic situation. On this subject, the government has finally chosen to require knowledge of French for economic immigration candidates. Stay tuned for mid-September: the start of these consultations is already generating considerable enthusiasm among stakeholders, as 72 briefs have been submitted and 66 groups have requested to be heard in committee.

Environment

Water Management

The summer provided an opportunity to reopen the debate on water management. A regrettably rainy summer has ironically done little to conserve drinking water, as many municipalities are facing significant asset maintenance deficits, reflected in the poor state of their pipes and resulting in drinking water losses or, conversely, sewage overflows into waterways. The City of Montreal is also seeking new sources of funding to address its maintenance deficit, an issue likely to ripple all the way to the National Assembly as the eleven largest cities in Quebec will meet on September 7 for a Municipal Fiscal Summit to prepare for the renegotiation of the 2024 Fiscal Pact.

Emerging Contaminants

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, are among those emerging contaminants that have periodically made headlines since a series of reports aired on the Enquete program last winter and spring. These « forever pollutants » are found in food, clothing, and many other everyday consumer products due to their stain-resistant, non-stick, waterproofing, and flame-retardant properties. What has recently caused alarm, however, is their concentration in the drinking water of Quebec municipalities. The Quebec government has no standard for PFAS in drinking water, and their testing in water distributed by public networks is not mandatory. Should we expect regulatory changes if specialists and the public maintain pressure? Health Canada, for its part, recommends a target of 30 nanograms per litre (ng/l), though this is a recommendation rather than a standard.

Plan Nature 2030

The 2023-2024 budget set aside no less than $443 million over five years for the rollout of Plan Nature 2030, a commitment made with great fanfare by the Legault government at COP15 on biodiversity, hosted by Montreal in December 2022. The Plan is Quebec’s response to the new global target of conserving 30% of its territory by 2030. Environmental organizations will be closely monitoring the initiatives funded by Plan Nature, as the question of protecting woodland caribou (whose strategy was again deferred last June) and the potential impact of energy development projects on biodiversity will not be far from the news cycle.

Agriculture

National Discussion on the Protection of Agricultural Land

In an open letter signed in June by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Andre Lamontagne, a major national consultation on agricultural land and activities was announced. A summary report will be published in March 2024 following these discussions, which aim to assess the current situation and provide recommendations to the ministry. Ultimately, this exercise is intended to modernize the Act respecting the protection of agricultural land and agricultural activities. Will Minister Lamontagne be opening a Pandora’s box for developers eyeing agricultural land for future projects? He insists that his goal is to ensure Quebec’s capacity to feed its population and preserve the vitality of its territory.

Modernization of the Regulation respecting agricultural operations

A project led by the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, this co-creation initiative (with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) seeks to modernize the Regulation respecting agricultural operations (RAO). Stemming from a temporary moratorium on biosolid spreading from the United States, the work will update agricultural practices with more sustainable and contemporary objectives in mind (livestock and storage facilities, fertilization management, watershed considerations, etc.). The various consultation and information activities will continue through the fall.