By Canadian Press

Feds table bill to protect the number of Quebec seats

Mar 24, 2022 | 12:30 PM

OTTAWA — The federal government is proposing legislation to ensure Quebec does not lose a seat when Canada’s electoral map is redrawn.

Pablo Rodriguez tabled a bill today to protect Quebec’s voice in Parliament after it faced losing a seat in an upcoming redistribution based on population.

The bill would prevent Quebec’s number of seats dropping to 77 from 78.

The move follows a commitment by the Liberal government to protect the number of Commons seats in Quebec in the text of a deal with the NDP.

Because Quebec’s population has declined, it stood to lose an MP, while other provinces with growing populations, including Alberta, would gain MPs.

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The bill comes after passage of a Commons motion tabled by the Bloc Québécois rejecting the proposal to redraw the electoral map in a way that reduces the province’s political weight in the House.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24 2022.

The Canadian Press