Quebec+Politics

__ Quebec Politics __
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Parliament and Government The Parliament of Québec consists of the Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly. The Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the Federal Government, is the Queen's representative in each of the Canadian Provinces. The Lieutenant Governor only assents to Acts. He does not participate in debates.

Image Prime Minister The National Assembly The National Assembly is composed of 125 Members, representing the 125 electoral divisions. The Parliament Members are elected by the population. The voting procedure is based on the principle of first-past-the-post system in each riding. The role of the National Assembly is to pass legislation, in other words to lay down compulsory standards in the areas recognized as coming under provincial jurisdiction in the Canadian constitution. In the Québec's parliamentary system, inspired from Great Britain, the Parliament and the Government represent separate powers : the legislative power and the executive power.

The Parliament The Parliament examines proposed legislation submitted to it in the form of bills by the Government and either accepts or rejects them. Parliament also oversees the Government's application of laws and supervises all government activities (legislative power).

The Government
The Government is formed of certain elected representatives of the party holding the majority of the seats in the National Assembly. Its function is to provide the political management of Québec. In the parliamentary system, the executive power is accountable to the Parliament. Almost all bills are conceived and drafted by the Government, in other words the Premier and the Cabinet. Altough we tend to associate the Government with the notion of "power", in a legal sense the Government stems from, and is controlled by, Parliament.

The Prime Minister
Formally designated by the Lieutenant-Governor, the Prime Minister is in fact chosen by the electorate when it elects a majority of Members from the same party. The Premier, in turn, selects the Members who will form the Cabinet (Executive Council), and holds power for as long as he or she retains the confidence of a majority of Members. Convention also requires each minister to support the decisions made by the Cabinet, or resign, in keeping with the principle of ministerial responsibility.

The Rule of the Law Québec is governed by a legal system that establishes the framework within which individuals, groups and governments conduct themselves, regulates their relations with one another and defines their rights and obligations. Based on the fundamental principles of law, this legal system finds expression first of all in a constitution, which recognizes the existence of the legislative branch, the executive branch and an independent judicial branch, and establishes a division of powers between the federal and provincial levels. The “Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms” expressly recognizes that every person possesses certain freedoms and certain fundamental rights, which the government itself cannot restrict except by means of a law, the reasonable nature of which it may be required to justify before a court. History and the common will of Quebecers have maintained a society in which power is exercised in a democratic manner and in which law takes precedence over force. The government and the local and regional authorities have the freedom to make political choices, which the people can approve or reject in the course of consultations, referendums and elections, and by any other legitimate means. But whatever these choices are, they are subject to legality, which means that law and regulation enactment and administrative decision-making must be conducted within a legal framework, and that the courts have the power to ensure that this is so. Similarly, the relations between the government and the governed and the exercise of the rights of the one with respect to the other follow rules and procedures aimed at guaranteeing equity, openness and impartial treatment by a competent judicial and administrative system. So that all Quebecers may be aware of the law that governs them, the texts of the laws, regulations and all other rules that apply to them are fully accessible to and widely circulated in the community in their integral versions, in summary form, or through any other medium explaining their content.

The Three Branches of Government and the Rule of Law
The legislative, executive and judicial powers play a significant role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of Quebecers. The National Assembly has enacted several laws to that effect, some of which are fundamental, such as the “Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms”, the “Civil Code” and the “Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information”. It has also set up promotion and control agencies, such as the Public Protector, the Commission des Droits de la Personne et des Droits de la Jeunesse and the Commission d'Accès à l'Information. The administration comprises many units specifically designed to guarantee or protect the rights of Quebecers as taxpayers, workers, consumers and so on, and its decisions that can affect the rights of individuals are subject to the rules set out in the recently enacted Act respecting administrative justice.The courts regularly hand down decisions restoring or upholding the rights of persons who resort to them. The above information was found at Quebec Government

The People Québec is a democratic society. Its political system is based on: > Both native and naturalized citizens elect their representatives at every level of government during elections. The State is secular. The separation of political and religious powers is a fundamental value of Québec society. The Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms sets out the fundamental values of Québec society. > The National Assembly of Québec adopted a Déclaration du gouvernement du Québec sur les relations interethniques et interraciales (Declaration on intercultural and interracial relations). This declaration condemns racism and commits the gouvernement du Québec to encourage the full participation of every person in the economic, social and cultural development of Québec, regardless of colour, religion, ethnic or national origin. The democratic nature of Québec society encourages immigrants and their descendants to fully contribute and participate in national life. All Quebecers have the responsibility to respect the fundamental values set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and other laws. Moreover, Québec’s appeal as a destination for immigrants lies mainly in the basic values that characterize its society.
 * freedom,
 * equality, and
 * citizen participation in political parties and associations.
 * It defines the right to equality.
 * It prohibits all forms of discrimination.
 * It specifies the political, legal, economic and social rights of citizens.

The above information was found at Quebec Immigration