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CTV News
a day ago
- 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Parti Québécois (PQ) also believes that the government will use gag orders and reiterates its request that the bill be withdrawn 'so that the minister can go back and do her homework.'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.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Right after King Charles waves goodbye, Quebec lawmakers vote unanimously to end ties with British monarchy
On May 27, 2025, King Charles III gave a speech in Ottawa to start Canada's 45th Parliament. He even quoted the national anthem, saying, 'The True North is indeed strong and free.' That same day, Quebec's National Assembly voted to end all ties with the British monarchy, as per reports. The motion was brought by Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. The motion said Quebec is the only true voice of its people and that most Quebecers feel no connection to the monarchy. The motion was passed unanimously, all 106 Members of the National Assembly from CAQ, Liberals, and Quebec solidaire voted for it. There was no debate before passing the motion, it was quick and unanimous, according to the Gazette report. Premier François Legault didn't seem interested in the King's speech. He said he didn't listen to it because he was in meetings. Simon Jolin-Barrette, the minister in charge of Canadian relations, also didn't listen to it but said he might later. Ruba Ghazal, Quebec solidaire co-leader, called Canada a 'bizarre country' for inviting a foreign monarch to talk about its future. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¿Quieres un segundo ingreso? Prueba Amazon CFD (Inicia hoy) TradeLG Haz clic aquí Undo QS was the first party to push for ending the oath to the monarchy that MNAs used to take. In December 2022, Quebec passed a law making the oath to the monarch optional, after PQ MNAs were temporarily banned for refusing to swear it. As per the reports now, QS wants to go further and stop public money going to the lieutenant-governor's office, the King's rep in Quebec. This office costs $758,000/year for things like office, staff, and driver. The salary of the lieutenant-governor is paid by Ottawa, The current lieutenant-governor is Manon Jeannotte, appointed in December 2023. Live Events A day after Jeannotte was appointed, the National Assembly passed a motion to abolish the position, but nothing changed, since it's legally complex. Even though the job is mostly ceremonial, Quebec laws still need the royal seal to become official. QS says that instead of a lieutenant-governor, Quebec could have an administrator, but this needs support from Ottawa and other provinces. Ruba Ghazal said the first step is just to start the conversation. She gave an example, people once said ending the oath was impossible, but it happened, as mentioned in the Gazette report. Until then, QS says Quebec could at least stop funding the lieutenant-governor's office on its own. Ghazal said she has told this idea to Jolin-Barrette, and he's noted it. Back in 2015, CAQ's platform also said they wanted to remove the lieutenant-governor's post. St-Pierre Plamondon mocked the idea that U.S. President Donald Trump would be influenced by the King's visit, saying it's absurd and outdated. He said inviting King Charles to Canada, based on a colonial tradition, is offensive to francophones and Indigenous people. He questioned how Charles could help deal with Trump's random or hostile comments about Canada, as per reports. Marc Tanguay, interim Liberal leader, said he's not a fan of the monarchy either but warned that removing it needs a constitutional change, which is very hard. He also said, 'When I wake up in the morning, I am not thinking about King Charles III. My loyalty is to Quebec's people', as stated in the Gazette. FAQs Q1. Why did Quebec vote to cut ties with the British monarchy? Most Quebecers feel no connection to it, and leaders want Quebec to stand on its own. Q2. Can Quebec remove the lieutenant-governor post on its own? No, it needs support from Ottawa and other provinces to change that legally.
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Quebec legislature votes unanimously to cut all ties with the monarchy
Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon during Question Period at the National Assembly, May 1, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) King Charles III had barely left the country as the National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion on Tuesday to cut all ties with the monarchy. The motion was tabled by PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon after Question Period, on a red-letter day in another parliament, Ottawa, where the monarch delivered the Speech from the Throne for the first time since 1977. The PQ motion was adopted unanimously, with 106 votes in favour and no abstentions. Even the federalist Liberals, who are more attached to Canadian institutions, voted in favour, as did the CAQ government benches. The vote was at 3:06 pm. The King had just left Canada shortly after 1 p.m., at the end of a short two-day visit. On Tuesday, he was welcomed by crowds of curious onlookers who lined Wellington Street, where he was escorted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 27, 2025. By Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press
Montreal Gazette
24-05-2025
- Health
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec doctors react to Bill 106: ‘We can't meet those demands'
The Corner Booth Doctors in Quebec say they're already stretched beyond their limits. Now, as Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé is tabling Bill 106, our province's physicians are once again sounding the alarm over the disconnect between the CAQ government and those on the front lines on how to improve access to health care. The bill would give the government authority to decide how health professionals are compensated. In theory, this could incentivize doctors to take on more patients, but according to family physicians Laura Sang and Christina Bianchini, this week's guests on The Corner Booth with hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand, this plan isn't pinpointing the root causes plaguing our system. 'I worry about the way that we're targeting physicians specifically, with a lot of undertones that we're not working hard enough, that this is only going to exacerbate the problem by having more physicians burn out, potentially leave the province, or even leave medicine altogether,' said Sang, who practises in St-Jerome. 'I'm already doing as much as I can,' said Bianchini, who practises in N.D.G. 'If I were to have another 1,000 patients rostered under me, the wait time to see me is 3-4 weeks, that'll grow to 3-4 months. Nothing is lining up for us with this solution.' The pair concluded by sharing their concerns for the future, while also saying there are ways to improve access to health care from their perspective, but doctors don't feel included in the process. Sang's message to the health minister: 'Please consult us.'
Montreal Gazette
21-05-2025
- Health
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Coroner's report into homeless man's death must be followed by action
There are some Gazette articles that should never be forgotten. One such article tells the story of Raphaël André, the Innu man who froze to death overnight next to a closed homeless shelter and the subsequent coroner's inquest. The recent 75-page report by coroner Stéphanie Gamache, which analyzes the circumstances surrounding the death and offers recommendations to prevent future homeless tragedies, must be implemented. Gamache paraphrased the powerful message by the victim's mother by telling the inquiry that on Jan. 16, 2021 — in a city with more than a million doors — all were closed that night. Let us always have doors that are accessible to those in need. Meanwhile, as Gamache noted, a warming tent placed in Cabot Square in André's honour has been used by over 108,000 people in the 14 months it was open. Shloime Perel, Côte-St-Luc Medical specialists deserve gratitude An expression of profound gratitude is extended to Dr. Vincent Oliva, whose voice on behalf of Quebec's medical specialists — in a full-page ad in the May 20 Gazette — has vowed to continue to care for Quebecers despite the policies of the CAQ government that have created 'untenable conditions' for the venerable profession. It is reassuring to know that our doctors will respect their Hippocratic Oath. Vivianne M. Silver, Côte-St-Luc A few proposals by special delivery With the rise of email, text messages and social media, home mail delivery is not as essential as it was 30 years ago. However, completely eliminating it would create challenges, especially for seniors and people with special needs. Reducing home delivery to two days per week, instead of five, could reduce costs while still allowing mail carriers to make their rounds and potentially notice overflowing mailboxes of seniors, suggesting a welfare check by authorities is needed. For people who still prefer home delivery over a P.O. box or a community mailbox, it could be offered for a monthly fee of, say, $20 per home address, but free for seniors and people with special needs. Ragnar Radtke, Beaconsfield Blame belongs with aggressor Re: ' Trump says Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks will begin 'immediately'' (NP Montreal, May 20) It is morally reprehensible and factually inaccurate when Donald Trump and his administration appear to assign equal culpability to both sides of the Kremlin-orchestrated war against Ukraine. Threatening to 'walk away' and let them thrash it out fails to take into account that one side is the powerful aggressor and the other the greatly outnumbered victim. Painting Volodymyr Zelenskyy as 'difficult,' as Trump has done in public comments, suggests the U.S. president now expects Ukraine's capitulation to achieve his dream of being a 'peacemaker.' Natalie Turko-Slack, Pierrefonds Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
