Quebec minister agrees to postpone electoral map reform
Quebec's democratic institutions minister, Jean-François Roberge, has accepted the opposition parties' request to postpone electoral map reform.
He made the announcement Thursday morning in the company of MNAs Monsef Derraji (Parti libéral du Québec), Sol Zanetti (Québec solidaire) and Pascal Bérubé (Parti québécois).
"It's an exceptional measure, but a necessary one," said Roberge. "It's essential that Quebec regions like Gaspésie continue to be well represented in the National Assembly."
The government will soon table a bill to maintain the current electoral map until 2026. It will then reflect on the criteria to be considered in drawing up the next map.
"It's time (...) to do things properly", said Derraji, who was the first to call for a pause in the reform of the electoral map in light of the proposed changes.
The law provides for a revision after two general elections, since population movements create inequalities in representation.
The draft revision presented last fall by the Commission de la représentation électorale (CRE) notably eliminated one electoral division in Gaspésie and one in the east end of Montreal, given the decline in the number of electors.
On the other hand, two new ridings were created: Marie-Lacoste-Gérin-Lajoie, in Centre-du-Québec, and Bellefeuille, in the Laurentians.
In February, several MNAs from all parties denounced the proposed revision. In particular, they complained that Gaspésie was gradually losing its political weight, and that the size of its ridings was becoming disproportionate.
"When we look at the size of the territory, it has to be a criterion. We can't just say, 'We're looking at the number of voters'," said Premier François Legault on Thursday.
"In the meantime, we've reached an agreement with the three opposition parties to protect the place of the regions."
"There are concerns in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, on the Côte-Nord, in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean that in the coming years the number of counties will be reduced and that the territories will be immense for MNAs to cover," he added.
The map is being revised so that Quebec is divided into 125 ridings of around 51,000 electors.
On Thursday, Minister Roberge stated that the revision criteria would be reviewed. He did not rule out increasing the number of MNAs in Quebec. "I'm not closing the door on anything today," he said.
The CRE did not respond to questions from The Canadian Press on Thursday. On March 5, it stated that it would continue its work "while the criteria set out in the Election Act are legitimate and democratic."
"The electoral map delimitation process must be independent and impartial, and political intervention at this stage could compromise these principles," said spokesperson Julie St-Arnaud-Drolet.
"What's more, keeping the current map until 2030 is not an acceptable option in the eyes of the commissioners, since major inequities in representation are already present and will only become more pronounced over the years," she added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 28, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.