With the law now in place to protect elected officials, Minister Andrée Laforest expects that many criminals who threaten, harass or intimidate a mayor, municipal councilor or MP will soon be fined.
The Minister of Municipal Affairs told our Parliamentary Office, “I am sure there will be many reasons, many files at the beginning.
Based on particularly strong pressure from the two largest municipal unions, since the last municipal elections in 2021, more than 800 people elected to the positions of mayor or councilor have resigned due to dishonesty. They are the target.
And sometimes the spouse or their children suffer the consequences. The latter is protected by law. Ditto for the 125 members of the National Assembly.
Mme However, Laforest is convinced that the awareness-raising efforts used by his ministry and the mandatory training provided to municipal elected officials will ultimately “reduce the number of crimes” that will be punishable after his piece of legislation goes into effect, ie. Permission will be given soon.
“We have to act,” the minister said
Bill 57, which aims to protect elected officials and promote the unhindered exercise of their functions, was unanimously passed by a parliamentary committee on Thursday morning after three days of deliberations and six days of extensive scrutiny.
“I am really proud. […] It ends the parliamentary session on a good note,” said Ms.me In an interview with Laforest Newspaper.
“We had to act to protect our elected officials,” stressed the member for Chicoutimi.
Many corrections
However, significant amendments had to be made in the face of concerns raised by opposition parties and organizations protecting rights and freedoms.
The main change is based on the addition of the concept of “abuse” prohibition, which leads to a sanction.
An elected official cannot act against another elected official sitting in the same body.
In response to criticisms made by several news media owners, it was also clarified that “expressing one’s opinion in any way while respecting Quebec’s democratic values is not an obstacle.”
PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon would have liked to go further. “A Parti Québécois government will intervene again to ensure that democracy and freedom of expression take precedence,” the Camille-Laurin member said on Tuesday.
Ahead of the vote at Salon Bleu, Unity deputy Etienne Grandmont said he feared municipal courts and high courts for representatives would soon be inundated with complaints in the case of municipal elected officials.
Prohibitions provided in Bill 57:
• Whoever, during the meeting of any council of a municipal body, improperly causes a disturbance so as to disrupt the proceedings of the meeting, shall be fined from $50 to $500;
• Anyone who “improperly” obstructs the activities of a municipal elected official by threatening, intimidating or harassing him in such a way as to cause reasonable fear for his integrity or his safety shall be fined from $500. $1500. The same to one of the 125 representatives of the National Assembly.
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