QuébecPolitique.com
- Système politique:
Parliamentary Figures
FR EN ESThe main parliamentary figures of the National Assembly of Quebec.
| Speaker | Mr. Michel Bissonnet, MNA for Jeanne-Mance–Viger |
| Deputy Speakers (3) | |
| Prime Minister | Mr. Jean Charest, MNA for Sherbrooke |
| Leader of the Official Opposition | Mr. Mario Dumont, MNA for Rivière-du-Loup |
| Leader of the Second Opposition Group | Mr. François Gendron, MNA for Abitibi-Ouest |
| Ministers | See ministers. |
| Government House Leader | Mr. Jean-Marc Fournier, MNA for Châteauguay |
| Official Opposition House Leader | Mr. Sébastien Proulx, MNA for Trois-Rivières |
| Second Opposition Group House Leader | Ms. Diane Lemieux, MNA for Bourget |
| Government Whip | Mr. Norman MacMillan, MNA for Papineau |
| Official Opposition Whip | Mr. François Bonnardel, MNA for Shefford |
| Second Opposition Group Whip | Mr. Stéphane Bédard, MNA for Chicoutimi |
| Standing Committee Chairpersons (10) |
Speaker
The Speaker is a Member elected to the office for the duration of the legislature by the other Members, usually on a motion by the Prime Minister, after consultation with the Opposition.
The duties of the office of Speaker are threefold. First, within Parliament, the Speaker must ensure that the Standing Orders and other rules of Procedure are observed and that the rights and privileges of the National Assembly, as defined in the Act respecting the National Assembly, and the rights and privileges of its Members, are protected. He's the "referee" and interpreter of parliamentary procedure. Second, at the administrative level, the Speaker oversees and directs the National Assembly's administrative services and provides Members with the services they need to carry out their duties effectively. Lastly, he plays a role of representative of the Parliament, since the National Assembly is member of several international parliamentary associations.
Vice-presidents
Assistance in carrying out the duties of the office of President is given by three Vice-Presidents who are also elected at the opening of each legislature or when a position becomes vacant. When replacing the President, the Vice-Presidents have the same prerogatives and the same authority as the President. They may in addition take charge of certain administrative matters.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister, also called "Premier" by the Canadian parliamentary tradition, is the head of Government. By parliamentary tradition, the government party is seated to the right of the President and the opposition parties to the left. The Prime Minister is thus seated on the President's right hand in the first row of seats. The Prime Minister delivers the Opening Speech at the start of each session and replies to questions from Members in subsequent sittings.
Ministers
Ministers are responsible for the various sectors of government administration and, at each sitting, must answer questions from Members. They also defend their respective bills during the legislative process.
Leader of the Official Opposition
The Leader of the Official Opposition is the leader of the political party having the second largest number of elected MNAs following a general election. He sits to the President's left, facing the Prime Minister, to symbolize their complementary relationship. Members of any other parliamentary opposition groups represented in the House also sit on the President's left.
House Leaders
The House Leaders are the experts on House procedure for their respective parliamentary groups. They collaborate among themselves and with the President in regulating House business for each sitting. The organization of the House agenda is the responsibility of the Government House Leader, who indicates the subjects to be discussed in the Orders of the Day once business having precedence, debates on urgent matters and debates on committee reports have been disposed of. The strategy for each parliamentary group is also the responsibility of the House Leaders.
Whips
A whip is a Member whose main task is to maintain order in the ranks of the parliamentary group and a consistent and unified party line. The whip sees that Members of the parliamentary group attend National Assembly sittings, makes a list of names of those who are to speak in various debates and assembles as many Members as possible when votes are taken. In addition, the whip ensures that Members are present at sittings of the committees of which they are members, supervises the sharing of duties and the provision of support services (i.e. secretarial, research services, etc.) to Members, and takes part in the selection of delegation members.
Standing Committee Chairpersons
Besides the President of the Assembly who, by virtue of the office, chairs the Committee on the National Assembly, ten chairpersons head an equal number of standing committees. They organize and plan the work of their respective committees. The Chairpersons of the Standing Committees are Members who are elected by their peers for two years after being appointed to a parliamentary committee. Among the Standing Committee Chairpersons, four must belong to opposition parties. Each Chairperson is assisted by a Deputy Chairperson, who must belong to a different parliamentary group.
Parliamentary Assistants
One or more MNAs may be appointed by the Prime Minister as parliamentary assistants to help with the parliamentary duties of a Minister; they are responsible for replying to questions addressed to the Minister or taking note of them on the Minister's behalf. They may also supervise developments relating to certain issues or act as the Minister's representative on various occasions.
Sources
Thibault, Richard. 1993. Qu'est-ce que l'Assemblée nationale?. Édition mise à jour. Québec : Assemblée nationale du Québec, Direction générale de l'information, Direction des communications et de l'accueil.
Last update: May 19, 2007