Article content
QUEBEC — National Assembly Speaker Nathalie Roy on Tuesday defended the $10-million increase in her budget during an annual accountability exercise.
The National Assembly is independent and its appropriations do not have to be voted on in the legislature. The speaker must, once a year, justify her expenses to elected officials.
Article content
On Tuesday, Roy declared that the budget of the National Assembly has increased to $202 million from $192 million in 2023-2024.
Article content
Of this amount, $190.4 million will mainly be paid in salaries to the 750 employees of Parliament, while $19.7 million will be devoted to the restoration and renovation of the buildings, minus $8 million because it is part of a multi-year amortization.
“This is not a frivolity,” Roy insisted to Liberal MNA Filomena Rotiroti, who asked her to reassure all those who “question the sound management of the National Assembly.”
For example, the increase in the operating budget was a recommendation from the Treasury Board Secretariat, Roy noted.
“There are collective agreements that have been signed and others are under negotiation,” she said. “The majority of these amounts are for salary increases.”
The last few months have also been marked by a 30-per-cent increase in MNAs’ salaries.
The budget of the National Assembly provides:
- $4.6 million for the increase in salary expenses, particularly linked to the potential renewal of collective agreements.
- $826,000 for the indexation of operating expenses due to inflation.
- $753,000 for the increase in MNA compensation to cover the full year.
- $102,000 for the enhancement of the Quebec Pension Plan.
- $81,000 for the retirement plan of MNAs.
Article content
Major renovation work will be carried out at the Salon bleu from June until fall 2026. Roy did not want to reveal its cost before the end of the bid submission period.
“The data … remain confidential so as not to harm the tender process. The contract amounts will be disclosed from the moment they are awarded,” she said.
The speaker also addressed the security of elected officials. She revealed that the National Assembly will ultimately not move forward with the installation of security cameras in their homes or chalets.
“It was decided … that we would go on a case-by-case basis,” she said, taking care to list the different measures put in place to ensure safety and well-being of members.
“If it can comfort you, know … that there are more than 400 cameras observing and monitoring what is happening (around the National Assembly), including in the parking lots. … You are never alone.”
In terms of new technologies, Roy revealed that reflection was underway regarding the possibility of making greater use of artificial intelligence in the National Assembly.
The chief government whip, Mario Laframboise, said that artificial intelligence could potentially reduce search times “by 1,000 per cent.” He said the legislature is in the “stone age,” not even offering enough power outlets to plug in all electronic devices.
Roy said AI is a tool “that can be extremely profitable, magnificent, and which can also be extremely dangerous.”
It is therefore necessary, she said, to proceed with “caution” and “parsimony.”
Finally, the speaker announced that the daycare pilot project at the National Assembly will be extended until December, offering time to take stock of the operations.
This project, which allows MNAs, political and administrative staff, as well as members of the press gallery, to have their children looked after at atypical hours, has cost $142,000 to date.
Since September, 54 parents (a total of 69 children) have used the daycare services: seven MNAs, six political employees and 41 administrative employees.
The project — a strong symbol for women to see that it is possible to be a mother and play politics — could be perpetuated, provided it has the approval of the Office of the National Assembly, Roy said.
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network
