Published at 1:29 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
February 15: Law No. 2 aims in particular to limit the price indexation rate of Hydro-Québec's domestic distribution tariffs and to strengthen the monitoring of the electricity distribution obligation
It fixes a violation caused by another CAQ law, passed under a gag order, that linked electricity prices to inflation. The minister therefore limited the indexation rate to 3% only for the housing sector: he wanted to avoid an increase in prices. However, another law must be passed in 2024 to avoid a significant increase in 2025, when the Energy Authority will have to reassess tariffs.
April 18: Law No. 10 restricting the use of the services of a recruitment agency and freelance workers in the health and social sector
The aim of the unanimously passed law is to completely ban private employment agencies in the health sector by 2026.
The practice is banned:
- in October 2024 for Montreal, Laval, Montérégie, Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches;
- in October 2025 for Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec, Estrie, Lanaudière and the Laurentians;
- in October 2026 for Bas-Saint-Laurent, Outaouais, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Nord-du-Québec, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Nunavik.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette met Océane (fictitious first name) via video conference to announce that a law would change family law.
May 31: Law No. 12 on the reform of family law in matters of parentage and aims at the protection of children born as a result of sexual assaults and the victims of these assaults, as well as the rights of surrogate mothers and children from a surrogacy project
This law allows a mother who is a victim of rape to refuse to establish her paternity to her attacker. According to the Ministry of Justice, nearly 170 children are born as a result of rape in Quebec each year. Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said that the Océane (fictitious first name) case, reported by La Presse in August 2022, inspired him when drafting this law. A Quebec court ordered a two-year-old toddler to undergo a DNA test and the results forwarded to his mother's rapist. It also regulates the pregnancy of others so that the rights of children and mothers are preserved.
June 1: No. 19 Child Labor Supervision Act
It prohibits children under 13 from working, except for certain jobs such as babysitting, helping with homework or even as a counselor at a summer camp. Since September 1st, children of working age are no longer allowed to work more than 17 hours per week during the school year. According to the Ministry of Labor, almost 90,000 young people under the age of 14 worked part-time.
June 6: Law No. 24 implementing the recommendations of the report of the Independent Advisory Committee on the Review of the Annual Remuneration of Members of the National Assembly
This controversial law allowed MPs to vote for a generous 30% pay increase, equivalent to $30,000 per year for a rank-and-file MP. However, this increase is even more pronounced for the vast majority of MPs (115 out of 125) who receive additional remuneration as a result of their parliamentary role. The Legault government's law was passed in collaboration with the Quebec Liberal Party. The Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire rejected this and promised that their MPs would restore all or part of this increase according to certain criteria.
June 7: No. 11 An Act amending the law relating to end-of-life care and other statutory provisions
The law expands access to medical assistance in dying for people with disabilities and allows people suffering from serious and incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's to make an advance request for this ultimate care. Specialized nurse practitioners (NPs) can now provide medical euthanasia, which can occur outside of a healthcare facility or in the home, such as a funeral home or any other location not provided for by law.
October 3: Law No. 29 Protecting Consumers from Planned Obsolescence and Promoting Durability, Repairability and Maintenance of Goods
This law prohibits the sale of goods whose normal useful life has been deliberately limited. An “anti-lemon” measure was created to protect consumers from “seriously defective” cars. It is innovative and guarantees the proper functioning of household appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers. The law requires car manufacturers to provide all diagnostic data to local mechanics so that they can repair vehicles without hindrance.
November 28: Law No. 22 on expropriation
It is a response to a promise made by François Legault to cities that wanted to pay less if they carried out expropriations to protect territories or build housing. The law modernizes the expropriation law by strictly regulating the compensation to be paid to the expropriated party.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Régine Laurent during the presentation of the report of the commission she chairs.
December 5: No. 37 Child Welfare and Rights Commissioner Act
The Legault government implemented the Laurent Commission's key recommendation by establishing the position of Commissioner for the Welfare and Rights of Children. He has the same status as the Citizen Protector or the Auditor General. It enjoys complete independence, is appointed on the proposal of the Prime Minister after a majority of two-thirds of the deputies and is tasked with ensuring the protection of the interests of children aged 0 to 17 years and young adults (18 -25 years old) who were looked after by the child protection department (DPJ) during their childhood.
December 7: No. 23 An Act to principally amend the Public Education Act and to enact the National Institute of Excellence in Education Act
She comes to implement the reform of the Minister of Education Bernard Drainville. It gives him the power to, for example, appoint and dismiss general managers of school service centers, oversee teacher training and improve access to school network data.
8 December: No. 39 An Act amending the Municipal Tax Act and other statutory provisions
Quebec has given cities the authority to impose a series of new taxes: a tax on vacant or underused housing and another on undeveloped land, in response to the housing crisis. It will also allow all cities with public transportation to mandate vehicle registration based on their gas mileage. The opposition parties associated this with a “blue tax”, comparable to the “orange tax” of Québec Solidaire, which François Legault criticized during the election campaign.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
With Bill 15, Santé Québec will become the sole employer of around 330,000 employees in the health network.
December 8th: Law No. 15 to increase the efficiency of the health and social services
This law was passed under a confidentiality obligation and creates Santé Québec, a public entity like Hydro-Québec. She will oversee the entire operational aspect of the healthcare network. Defining key government directions and policies remains the purview of the Department of Health and Human Services. Santé Québec will also become the sole employer of around 330,000 network employees to “cut red tape” and improve “efficiency.”
Other laws passed in 2023
- March 15: No. 8 An Act to improve the efficiency and accessibility of justice, in particular by promoting mediation and arbitration and simplifying civil procedure in the Quebec Court
- June 1: Law No. 16 amending the law regarding land use planning and other provisions
- June 7: Law No. 20 establishing the Blue Fund and amending other provisions
- June 7: Law No. 25 to combat illegal tourist accommodation
- October 24: Law No. 34 on Modernizing the Notary Profession and Promoting Access to Justice