For the second time in the history of Quebec, the national assembly is chaired by a woman, and Nathalie Roy seems ready to make some changes.

Under her reign, we will see the appearance of a drop-in daycare centre in parliament, she confirmed in a lengthy interview with The Canadian Press on the occasion of International Women's Day.

There will also be talk of pay, parental leave and remote voting. The big reform project that was aborted under former president François Paradis is being revived with the arrival of Roy.

"It will still be a major project," said Roy, whose role will be to "facilitate" the discussions between the parties in order to modernize the national assembly, ideally as early as this year.

"In 2012, what struck me was the Citizens' House, (...) and there was no daycare, no place for children, not even a place to change a nappy in the bathrooms," she said. "Now it's coming."

She is referring to the pilot project for a drop-in daycare centre that will be located in the André-Laurendeau building and will be able to accommodate ten children between the ages of 0 and 10, including a maximum of four infants.

The opening is planned for September 2023, according to information gathered by The Canadian Press.

The national assembly currently has a record number of women elected, 57 out of 125, but it is a fact that women are still hesitant to take the plunge into politics for all sorts of reasons.

"If we want to attract more women, we have to help them," said Roy. "The truth is that it's often the mothers who have to do the housework, look after the children when they are small, etc.

"They don't have the same biological functions... We have to take this into account... Women are not a minority. They are half of humanity!"

She said she wants to help women "take their place."

PARENTAL LEAVE AND ELECTRONIC VOTING

Since November, thanks to an amendment to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, women MNAs no longer risk being penalized if they are absent from parliament because they have just given birth to a child.

They continue to be paid during their absence, so they are not eligible for Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits, even if they have contributed to it.

However, it is difficult for an MNA to stop performing her duties while on leave. Her responsibilities cannot be delegated, and she must continue to ensure a certain presence in her constituency.

"Logically speaking, every woman who gives birth should be entitled to leave," said Roy.

In the City of Montreal, for example, the elected representative is entitled to 18 weeks leave and help to follow up on her files.

"If by any chance the elected representatives... wish to have this type of leave or adaptations, I am here to see to what extent it can be possible according to the laws," she said. "I am open, my door is open, ready to take up and stimulate MNAs in their work."

She said she wanted to enhance the role of MNAs, use technology and possibly integrate remote voting into parliamentary procedure, which could attract more young people and women into politics.

"It can be a hindrance, the fact that you want to enter politics, but the kids are at school, and you're going to spend three-four days in Quebec City; who's going to look after the kids? Can we work remotely?" she asked.

The political parties have mandated the assembly administration to implement an electronic voting system in the Salong Bleu by the fall of 2023.

CONDEMNED TO EXCELLENCE

Roy was not always a candidate for the presidency.

When her name began to circulate last autumn, many raised eyebrows, recalling how partisan the former Minister of Culture had been.

But from the moment she arrived, she impressed with her level of preparation, her sense of fairness and her pleasant tone.

She confided that she was the kind of person "who tells herself she has no right to make mistakes."

"I was very nervous because these are big shoes to fill," said the lawyer and former journalist, referring to the first woman to hold the post, Louise Harel, in 2002.

"She is not just anyone. She is a woman with a long track record. In this regard, I said to myself, we must do well. Mrs. Harel did well, I must do well.

"(The comedian) Martin Matte used to joke that he was 'condemned to excellence.' It's a bit like that when you put on someone else's shoes, but I'll do it my way. I'm not Mrs. Harel."

Her assets: six years in opposition and four years in cabinet, plus her training as a lawyer and her sense of justice, which she says makes her defend all MNAs equally.

She believes that Quebecers will discover another side of her, that of a team player.

SERVING AS A ROLE MODEL

"It's a good thing that the government has been able to get a lot of support for the project," she said. "It touches me a lot. Since my election, (...) people have been telling me: 'Mrs. Roy, we heard you, (...) my daughter said wow, you are an example for her.'

"Another person said to me, 'You're on the throne. It's a woman on the throne!' I thought, 'My God, it hits them right in the face.' I didn't realize that, the fact that it hits the imagination of young girls.

"If I can use my gender to give young girls the confidence to believe in their dreams and rise to important positions, I will have succeeded in my mandate."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 8, 2023.