Latest news with #Bill69
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Bill 69: Quebec government invokes closure to pass energy bill
Energy Minister Christine Fréchette during question period at the National Assembly on June 5, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) The government's patience has reached its limit: it is invoking a gag order to force the rapid adoption of Bill 69 on energy. For several days now, the government has been laying the groundwork for the adoption, invoking closure for the bill, which aims to give Hydro-Québec free rein to increase its electricity production. Investments of nearly $200 billion are planned between now and 2035. Energy Minister Christine Fréchette argued that its rapid adoption will save $6 billion on the wind energy strategy, estimated at $30 billion. Premier François Legault has promised the creation of 'good jobs' if the bill is passed before the summer. However, the opposition parties are highly critical of the bill, considering it poorly drafted. The PQ and Québec Solidarity have even called for its outright withdrawal. Two weeks ago, Minister Fréchette tabled 52 amendments to modify her bill. The government accuses the opposition of obstructing the legislative process. Gagging is 'a parliamentary procedure used by the government to limit the time spent debating a motion or bill and to speed up its adoption,' according to the National Assembly website. The bill also aims to fulfil the government's promise to limit residential electricity rate increases to a maximum of 3 per cent. It will also allow a private company to sell its electricity to another and aims to simplify partnerships with Indigenous communities. Bill 69 was introduced in June 2024 by Super Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, before he resigned a few months later. Minister Christine Fréchette took over, but the legislative process for the bill has been an arduous one. In December 2024, the minister cited Donald Trump and his threats of tariffs to justify the delays in moving the bill forward. Last February, the official Liberal opposition delayed consideration of the bill, also citing the American president. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 6, 2025. By Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press
Montreal Gazette
4 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
CAQ government invokes closure to fast track energy bill
By QUEBEC — Arguing it is acting in the interests of economic growth, the Coaliton Avenir Québec government has cut short the debate on legislation modernizing the energy sector, Bill 69. Shortly after 3 p.m. Friday, CAQ house leader Simon Jolin-Barrette informed the legislature the government would be invoking closure, forcing the bill into law. The decision means the summer recess of the National Assembly will be delayed a few more hours as MNAs debate into the night with a vote sometime early Saturday morning. It is the seventh time since taking power in 2018 the CAQ uses closure to fast track legislation and bypass the normal rules of procedure. The move immediately sparked an angry reaction from the opposition parties that oppose the bill and want it scrapped. But the government said the debate on the bill has lasted long enough. Tabled way back in June 2024 by former CAQ super minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, the legislation has been stalled for months. After Fitzgibbon's resignation in September 2024, the bill was eventually picked up by the new economy and energy minister, Christine Fréchette. 'After more than 150 hours of consultations and detailed study, the repeated obstruction by the opposition parties, only two-thirds of the clauses of the bill have been adopted,' Fréchette said Friday. 'If work continues at this pace, on the same date next year, the bill will still not have been adopted.' The bill makes sweeping changes to way Quebec's energy sector operates and power rates are set, and also introduces for the first time the concept of energy sobriety to curb consumption. The Legault government wants to double electricity production by 2025 and Bill 69 is part of the equation. It will permit Hydro-Québec to dispense with tendering rules in the awarding of certain contracts as well as enter into agreements with indigenous communities. The bill is supposed to allow the provincial energy utility to launch new wind-power projects as early as this summer. Hydro-Québec plans to spend $200 billion by 2035 on its expansion. Fréchette said the additional wind power alone will add 2,000 megawatts of power to the grid for power-hunger Quebec companies as well as creating 1,000 jobs in regions of Quebec that have been hard hit in the fallout over U.S. trade tariffs. Waiting for the opposition was no longer an option. Adopting Bill 69 now will enable Hydro-Québec to save $6 billion by implementing the new wind-power system earlier, she said. The bill will also permit private companies to sell their electricity to industries directly. For consumers, Bill 69 will ensure domestic electricity rate increases are capped at 3 per cent (a CAQ election promise) and abolish the base price for gas that might be pushing prices up at the pump. But the last minute addition of 52 amendments to the original legislation sparked an uproar with the three opposition parties, which accused the government of trying to steamroll them. Parti Québécois energy critic Pascal Paradis estimated the new amendments being rushed in will eventually cost consumers $1 billion in extra charges. He said the bill fundamentally weakens the power regulator agency, the Régie de énergie. 'Quebecers will have to shell out,' Paradis said. 'Bill 69 is basically a tool box to increase rates.' The business lobby also objected to the bill, saying Quebec companies and institutions will bear the costs of all the projects.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Quebec government invokes closure to force through sweeping energy bill
The Quebec government has invoked closure to speed up the adoption of a bill that will give Hydro-Québec free rein to increase its electricity production. This parliamentary procedure limits the time devoted to debate on a motion or bill and fast-tracks its adoption. Christine Fréchette, Quebec's economy and energy minister, said adopting Bill 69 before the end of the legislative session would save $6 billion on the government's $30 billion wind power strategy. The bill makes sweeping changes to the operations of Hydro-Québec and how electricity rates are fixed. The government has promised to cap increases in residential electricity rates to three per cent. The bill will also allow a private company to sell its electricity to another and aims to simplify partnerships with Indigenous communities. Opposition parties are highly critical of the bill, deeming it poorly crafted. Quebec's former "super minister" of economy and energy Pierre Fitzgibbon tabled the bill in June 2024 — highlighting the purpose of accelerating the production of green energy. After he stepped down, Fréchette took over, but the bill's legislative process was weeks ago, she tabled 52 amendments to modify the bill.
Montreal Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Trump's latest move on aluminum tariffs defies all logic, Legault says
By QUEBEC — U.S. President Donald Trump's latest move on trade tariffs, penalizing the Canadian and Quebec economies, defies all logic, Premier François Legault said Wednesday, 'What he is doing with aluminum does not stand up,' Legault said, arriving for question period at the legislature. 'What we are realizing is Mr. Trump is defying all logic.' After saying last week that he would double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Trump acted Tuesday, signing an executive order raising U.S. tariffs from 25 per cent to 50 per cent as of 12:01 am Wednesday. Legault immediately responded on social media, saying it was an 'unjustified decision which hurts our workers, our economy as well as that of the United States.' Les nouveaux tarifs de Donald Trump sur notre acier et notre aluminium entrent en vigueur demain. Une décision injustifiée qui nuit à nos travailleurs, à notre économie, ainsi qu'à celle des Américains. On suit la situation de très près. Nos programmes d'aide sont disponibles,… — François Legault (@francoislegault) June 4, 2025 'Of course we are disappointed,' Legault said, sounding exasperated with Trump's flipflops and policy changes. 'Putting 50-per-cent tariffs on aluminum and steel is completely illogical, particularly for aluminum.' He noted the United States gets 60 per cent of its aluminum from Quebec and is unable to produce more than it does now. The immediate result will be to increase the costs of producing automobiles for Ford and General Motors, he said. 'They will be obliged to increase their prices, it will reduce the demand so it will penalize Quebec workers, but also American workers a lot.' He said there was a meeting Tuesday between Dominique Leblanc, the federal minister of intergovernmental affairs, and U.S. secretary for trade Howard Lutnick, 'and nothing came of it.' 'It seems nobody can bring him back to reason. We don't understand what he's doing.' Legault said Quebec already has programs in place to help Quebec companies through the storm, but, 'We hope Mr. Trump will change his mind.' 'It more important than ever to speed up all the economic projects we have to replace and be able to create jobs, particularly in the regions of Quebec,' he said. He used the situation to press the opposition parties to end their blocking of legislation overhauling Quebec's energy sector, Bill 69. With rumours flying that the Coalition Avenir Québec make invoke closure to fast-track the bill into law, Legault said there are a series of projects in the regions depending on the new law. Legault said he intends to again discuss the situation Thursday with Prime Minister Mark Carney to make a pitch for expanding aide programs for multinational companies. And Legault announced he will head to France from June 13 to 16 to participate in the 55th annual Paris air show at Le Bourget. He plans to meet major players in the aeronautical and aerospace field to stimulate business for Quebec companies to make up for losses on the American markets.
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Liberals believe the government will impose a gag order on Quebec energy bill
Quebec Liberal Party interim Leader Marc Tanguay questions the government at the legislature in Quebec City, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Everything suggests that the government will force the adoption of Bill 69 on energy by gag order, says the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ). The parliamentary session ends on Friday. 'With François Legault, gagging equals sloppiness, and we denounce it,' said interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay at a news conference Monday morning in Montreal. Liberal MNA Monsef Derraji accused the government of dragging its feet on Bill 69. 'As of today, we have lost 250 hours of detailed study. (...) This shows you how unprepared this government was to have a meaningful discussion about Quebec's energy future, and unfortunately, we are witnessing the politicization of energy rates by François Legault,' he said alongside his leader. Tanguay also criticized the bill. 'François Legault has decided to pass on the bill of 15 per cent and more over the last three years to our SMEs and businesses. In that sense, it's a bad bill,' he said. The Parti Québécois (PQ) also believes that the government will use gag orders and reiterates its request that the bill be withdrawn 'so that the minister can go back and do her homework.' 'The CAQ government has achieved a remarkable feat: it has managed to unite everyone against it. Neither civil society organizations, SMEs nor industries agree with the pile of amendments it tabled at the last minute. The CAQ government, which itself does not seem to understand the impact of these amendments, is creating even more confusion in a bill that was already a hodgepodge,' said PQ MNA Pascal Paradis in a written statement sent to The Canadian Press. Two weeks ago, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy Christine Fréchette tabled 52 amendments to modify the legislative text. 'We are calling on the opposition to study the bill' Last week, Fréchette refused to commit to not passing her bill under closure. Her office told The Canadian Press that the bill had been studied for more than 100 hours, that there had been four briefings for the opposition parties, and that the amendments had been provided in advance. 'We are not using closure. We are calling on the opposition to study the bill,' the minister's communications director, Maxime Roy, said in a text message on Monday. A laborious process Introduced in June 2024, Bill 69 aims to give Hydro-Québec free rein to increase its electricity production. It was introduced by former super-minister Pierre Fitzgibbon before he resigned in September 2024. Fréchette took over, but the legislative process for the bill has been arduous. In December 2024, Fréchette cited Donald Trump and his threats of tariffs to justify the delays in moving the bill forward. Last February, it was the turn of the official Liberal opposition to delay consideration of the bill, also citing the American president. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 2, 2025.
