WATCH: Quebec Liberals to invoke closure to pass its omnibus bill
MONTREAL — The Quebec government invoked “closure” measures just before midnight Monday in order to pass its controversial legislation.
In total, 64 MNAs voted in favour of the bill and 43 voted against.
MNAs were holding a special session to pass Bill 28, which is called “An Act mainly to implement certain provisions of the Budget Speech of 4 June 2014 and return to a balanced budget in 2015-2016.”
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The Liberal Party has said it was frustrated by the lengthy review process, which has so far seen 20 of the more than 300 articles in the bill passed over the past five months.
The bill was first introduced on Nov. 26, 2014.
A few of the measures included in the bill have come under fire, including the end of universal childcare in publicly-funded daycares, where fees are expected to rise from $9 to $20 a day for families with incomes over $150,000.
READ MORE: Should universally subsidized daycare end in Quebec?
The bill has also been a cause of concern for Quebec’s pharmacists, who are worried about a $177 million cut in dispensing fees that could reduce their income by 20 per cent.
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Quebec’s Liberal Party last invoked closure in February, when the government used it to pass its other controversial health legislation, Bill 10.
READ MORE: Protesters interrupt Quebec’s Bill 10 closure debate
The Parti Québécois has described Bill 28 as “Harperization,” in a reference to cuts that were not planned in the budget, however the Quebec Liberals are arguing these cuts are necessary.
– With files from Caroline Plante
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