Thank you for your confidence

A month ago, you gave me your support and I’m grateful for your confidence. The government was formed and the National Assembly will reconvene on May 8. Contrary to the federal government, we’ve never witnessed the functioning of a minority government. It will certainly be very interesting. Corridors will undeniably take on a new importance. Negotiations, deals, calculations are going to be the bread and butter of journalists and analysts from all avenues. It will be quite a show. People often ask me how it’s all going to work. My answer is very simple: “I don’t have a clue! We’ll see…”

The next legislature will see the arrival of a large number of new representatives. I don’t know if this is a record, but almost half the Chamber was renewed… I notice that citizens don’t seem unhappy with the type of government they elected for themselves. They blamed the former government of not listening enough to their needs. The new government won’t have a choice, it will have to adjust its antenna and be in tune with the population. Otherwise, the next popular judgment will be fatal… In this line of thought, when the government was formed and Mrs. Nathalie Normandeau was reappointed as Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Premier publicly gave her the mandate to resolve the file on the functioning of boroughs. The same day, Mrs. Normandeau told me that she was planning on tabling legislative amendments during the course of the session that will open next week… To be continued…

The next session will mostly revolve on three axels: First, after the election of the President and Vice Presidents of the Assembly, which will most likely take place the next day, the Lieutenant Governor will give her Speech from the Throne. A few days later, there will be a new speech on the budget, followed by a 200 hour parliamentary commission to study the credits. Some bills will be introduced, such as one on firearms and naturally the one afore mentioned on municipal affairs.

In closing, I thank you again for the honour of representing you at the 38th Legislature. It should be very interesting considering the political context in which we find ourselves. We’ll see where it all takes us. Anyhow, crocus season has come and gone and it’s now time for tulips to dazzle our lives.

Jacques Chagnon is the Liberal MNA for Westmount—St. Louis.