Why did the government make such a decision? What explains this strategy of the opposition? What consequences will the bill being debated in Parliament have? Starting next week, our parliamentary couriers will answer any of your questions on the latest political news in this section.
We wondered if it was politically feasible. In its previous mandate, the Trudeau government was bogged down with its reform of the CRTC, which was to force the digital giants to finance and promote Canadian and French-language content. Conservatives saw it as nothing less than an attack on free speech. Seen from Quebec, it was on the contrary a necessity to protect cultural diversity and restore equity between broadcasters. The new file manager, Pablo Rodriguez, piloted this ambitious reform, which was based on an expert report. The work is not finished. The CRTC will now have to come up with regulations to enforce this law. But it is already a giant step. And a victory for those who believe that culture is not just a commodity.
To see the intensity with which François Legault puckered his lips, he should not have been happy with Martine Biron’s choice of metaphor. The MP for Chutes-de-la-Chaudière wanted her region to be compensated for the abandonment of the third link. “When we don’t keep our promises, we tell people: I’ll give it back to you, I owe you one,” she said candidly. Since its creation, the CAQ has boasted that it was not like the “old parties” and that it did not dismiss favors based on its partisan interests. And if there is a lesson to be learned from the saga of this tunnel project, it is precisely that infrastructure choices should result from a rigorous and impartial process.
Number of products certified “Produits du Québec” out of the 100,000 offered in Le Panier bleu launched by Quebec in 2020. It’s not much, acknowledged Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon. Only 246 merchants use this transactional site, out of 220,000 Quebec businesses. There too, it is little, he said, promising fixes.
Liberal MP André Fortin returns to the charge with an issue that is close to his heart: he has tabled for the second time in four years a bill to establish a presumption of consent to the donation of organs or tissues after death. “If the bill is passed in Quebec, organ and tissue donation would be presumed at the time of your death. There would still be beacons around that. If we wanted to notify the refusal, we would only have to sign the health insurance card. So it’s the exact reverse of the process that’s in place right now,” he explained. Health Minister Christian Dubé believes this project should be a “priority” and treated in a non-partisan way like physician-assisted dying. He suggested that the subject be considered by elected officials next fall. To be continued… especially since it is very rare for an opposition piece of legislation to make its way! According to Mr. Fortin, such a measure has increased the number of organ donations by almost 40% in Nova Scotia.
A perfect example of work-family balance. In the midst of the study of appropriations, on Wednesday, Liberal MP Marwah Rizqy was able to count on the support of her rival CAQ Valérie Schmaltz, who spontaneously offered to take care of her baby while she asks questions to Minister Simon. Jolin Barrette. Some MPs must be anxious for a day care center to open in parliament, which must be done during this legislature.
The new monarch is found in C-47, an omnibus bill, which aims to implement certain measures of the last federal budget. It was enough for the Bloc Québécois to try to relaunch the debate on the monarchy. “We find it inappropriate and no matter how hard we look for the link between the budget bill and this element, we do not see it”, denounced the leader of the Bloc in the House, Alain Therrien, in an interview. He sent a letter to his Liberal counterpart, Mark Holland, asking that the change to the Royal Titles Act be made a separate bill. The request was quickly denied. The government argues that this is an administrative change and not to swear allegiance to “Charles the Third, by the grace of God, King of Canada and its other realms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth”.
“It’s just too unfair,” Calimero constantly lamented. The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, saw a similarity between the victimist attitude of the little chick and that of Justin Trudeau. “Calimero didn’t know anything. Everything was happening without his knowledge […] Now that the Prime Minister knows that there were five deputy ministers in his office with the foundation that bears his father’s name, can he tell us, Calimero , what was said in his office? “, he swung Tuesday during the question period. The Bloc leader was called to order. “Making fun of each other is unparliamentary,” scolded House Speaker Anthony Rota.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra loves his Adidas shoes. It’s not that he uses it to run marathons every two months. He always wears his Adidas with his suit and tie. He has a veritable collection of them, and in all colors. He talks about it with pride, even when the Conservative Party makes fun of him. The well-polished black shoes? Not know ! “It’s probably psychological. When I was a kid, I always wanted to have sneakers like this. But we really couldn’t afford it. I had a pair that was to last for several years. Now that I can afford them, I’m making up for lost time! “said the minister this week before going to question period in the Commons.
