SRI LANKA
entrepreneurs in the villages while developing their technical and entrepreneurial skills contributing to the social capital. The promotion of the concept of self-employment enhances particularly, the contribution of unemployed women towards the country’s gross production. The features of the Act
include the introduction of new regulations to merge the
THIRD READING: QUÉBEC Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, MP
three institutions, the Samurdhi Authority, Southern Development Authority and the Udarata Development Authority, and to admit them to the public service making them entitled to pensions guaranteeing job security. Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena,
MP, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage said that the Divineguma Bill would enter into history by uplifting the living standards of the people while ensuring social justice. It would also strengthen the economy of Samurdhi beneficiary families by further raising their living standards. Thus, the majority of the people would reap the benefits of economic development. Hon. D.E.W. Gunasekera,
MP, Human Resources Development Senior Minister stated that the Bill had been widely discussed in the country. While the Samurdhi Authority unanimously agreed when it was set up, all provincial councils except the Northern Provincial Council approved the Bill.
On 30 October 2012 the National Assembly opened the first session of its 40th Legislature. The September General Election resulted in the Parti Québécois forming a minority government with 54 elected Members. The Québec Liberal Party constitutes the Official Opposition with 50 Members, and the Coalition avenir Québec forms the Second Opposition Group with 19 Members. The National Assembly also has two independent Members affiliated with Québec solidaire. During the brief fall sessional period ending on 7
December, the National Assembly passed nine public Bills, eight of which were passed unanimously. In terms of anti-corruption legislation, on 7 December,
the National Assembly passed Bill 1, the Integrity in Public Contracts Act. Under the new Act, enterprises wishing to enter into contracts with public bodies or municipalities must obtain prior authorization to do so from the Autorité des marchés financiers. The Authority may refuse to grant authorization if it considers that a lack of integrity on the part of an enterprise or its directors or officers has undermined public confidence. Such authorizations are valid for a period of three years, but may be revoked for the same reason. On the same date, the Assembly passed Bill 8, An Act to amend various legislative provisions concerning municipal affairs. Among other things, this omnibus bill allows municipal bodies and public transit authorities to reject tenders from contractors or suppliers who have received an unsatisfactory performance assessment within the two previous years. On 6 December, the Assembly also passed Bill
which follows up on the Act to eliminate union placement and improve the operation of the construction industry, passed in December 2011. Bill 6 defers to 9 December 2013 the coming into force of provisions regarding the establishment of a labour-referral service for the construction industry to be known as the Service de référence de main-d’oeuvre de l’industrie de la construction.
6,1 Bill 10, An Act to provide for the provisional relief
from office of an elected municipal officer is still under committee examination. The new legislation would allow the Superior Court,
on a motion by a municipality or its electors, to declare elected municipal officers provisionally incapable of performing their duties of office if proceedings have been brought against them for an offence punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or more. On 6 December 2012, the Assembly unanimously
passed Bill 2, An Act to amend the Election Act in order to reduce the elector contribution limit, lower the ceiling on election expenses and increase public financing of Québec political parties. The Act limits the maximum yearly contribution of
individual electors to $100 and abolishes the tax credit related to those contributions. In addition, it lowers the ceiling on election spending
during a general election by political parties to $8 million. Bill 3, An Act to amend the Election Act for the purpose of establishing fixed-date elections, introduced by the Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions and Active Citizenship, is still under consideration in committee. Under the new legislation, a general election would be held every four years on the last Monday of September. Lastly, the National Assembly passed Bill 9, An Act
to establish the Health and Social Services Information Resources Fund. The Act establishes a fund dedicated to financing
the activities and services of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux relating to the computerization of the health and social services network, including family physician offices and medical clinics.
Endnotes 1. An Act concerning the date of coming into force of certain provisions of the Act to eliminate union placement and improve the operation of the construction industry.
Mr Ranjith Madduma
Bandara, MP, (UNP) commented that the Bill would be supported if it did eliminate poverty. However he argued it was not fair that if it was simply a move to exploit people to gain political benefits. The Deputy Minister of Finance
and Planning, Hon. Dr Sarath Amunugama, MP, stated that
poverty would be further reduced with the implementation of the Divineguma Bill. He emphasized that a micro-credit system for small-scale entrepreneurs to strengthen their businesses and start new ventures would also be implemented. Economic Development
Minister Hon. Basil Rajapaksa,
MP, replied at the end of the debate that Samurdhi officers would be entitled to get pensions with the passage of the Bill, while the Leader of the House, Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, MP, asked for a division by name. One hundred and fifty nine voted in favour while 43 members voted against the Bill.
The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One | 75
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92