Canadian Social Research Links
version 
française

Québec

Updated April 24, 2008
NOTE TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING VISITORS
The English version of this page is much more modest than the French version
Québec government websites are not available in English for all departments, nor are there English versions of all Québec reports. In case you decide to check out the French version, try Google's Language Tools or Alta Vista's Translation Service or Freetranslation.com if you need assistance with the language. Enter either the URL (web page address) or the actual French text of the report (by cutting and copying it into the translation service dialogue box) and these services will translate the text or the entire web page for you almost immediately and reasonably accurately. OK, sometimes it's not exactly an elegant translation, but you should get the gist of the text...

[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]
For information about the Louise Gosselin Supreme Court case,
go to the Canadian Social Research Links Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page

NEW

Éliminer la pauvreté : ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements
(What governments can do to eliminate poverty)
April 17, 2008
In his presentation, Éliminer la pauvreté : ce que peuvent faire les gouvernements, Political Science Professor Alain Noël offers some interesting insights into poverty reduction/elimination in other countries and in Canada, with a special focus on Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, the two provinces that already have a poverty reduction strategy in place. He also speaks about the recent resurgence of public interest in poverty reduction in Canada and on the world scene, and he suggests that the federal government needs to step up to the plate in terms of its poverty reduction efforts in areas such as Employment Insurance, income security for Canada's seniors, equalization, taxation and Aboriginal people.

Professor Noël's presentation (PDF - 316K, 9 pages) is available in French only.

Source:
Breakfast on the Hill Series (English home page)
NOTE: click the link above to access 46 presentations in the Breakfast on the Hill series, going right back to 1996.
[ Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences ]
The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, known as the Federation, is a membership-based organization that is made up of 66 scholarly associations, 73 universities and colleges and 7 affiliates, comprising more than 50,000 scholars, students and practitioners across Canada. Through its activities, the Federation strives to support and advance Canada's research in the humanities and social science, fields which are intrinsically important to the development of social, cultural and economic understanding, thus giving our society necessary tools to address the most complex of questions.

NEW


Hotlinks
The links below will take you directly to the following
Quebec government and non-governmental web pages:

NOTE: Quebec Government Department names are official in French only; they are translated into English below for information only.

Government of Québec - Home Page
News Services
National Assembly of Quebec
Relations internationales (International Relations)
Commission on Fiscal Imbalance
Emploi et Solidarité sociale (Employment and Social Solidarity)
Famille Aînés et Condition féminine (Family, Seniors and Status of Women)
Régie des rentes du Québec
(Quebec Pension Board)
Revenu (Revenue)
Santé et Services sociaux (Health and Social Services)
Institut de la statistique du Québec (Québec Statistical Institute)
Finances (Finance)
Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor (Treasury Board Secretariat)
Éducation (Education)
Justice
Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
(Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission)
Protecteur du citoyen (Quebec Ombudsman)
Société d'habitation du Québec (Quebec Housing Corporation)

Collective for a Poverty-Free Québec
The Montreal Gazette
Liberal Party of Quebec


For People 55 and Over
Excellent collection of information on programs and services for seniors - includes links to relevant websites for more information on eligibility, benefits, where and how to apply for assistance for each program, etc.


 

Québec Budget 2008-2009 (March 13, 2008)

* Budget Speech(PDF file - 44 pages, 657 Kb)
* Budget Plan (PDF file - 362 pages, 1.93 Mb)
* Additional Information on the Budgetary Measures
(PDF file - 196 pages, 2.52 Mb)
* Press Releases

[QC budgets for earlier years]

Quebec's Liberals get ADQ support for 'balanced' budget
Spring election averted

March 13, 2008
Quebec's minority Liberal government tabled a $62.9-billion budget Thursday aimed at boosting the economy, helping seniors and families, and keeping an election at bay.
Source:
CBC News

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"quebec budget 2008-2009"
- Web search results page
- News search results page
- Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

Earlier Quebec budgets (this link takes you further down on the page you're now reading)

- Go to the Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

Key welfare links

Department responsible for welfare
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)

Name of the welfare program
Last-resort financial assistance

Legislation

Individual and Family Assistance Act (Chapter 15, 2005) - Bill 57
Individual and Family Assistance Regulation
Source:
Laws and regulations administered by
the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity

[ Lois refondues et règlements du Québec ]

Policy Manual
Assistance to individuals and families – General information (PDF file - 724K, 23 pages) November 2007
NOTE: the blue text box in the centre of the Last-resort financial assistance page also contains detailed welfare program info

Welfare statistics
Recipients under social assistance programs
Youth and social assistance programs
Previous statistics
[If you can read French, see Statistiques sur la clientèle des programmes d'assistance sociale for detailed caseload profile info]
See also:
Number of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare

Welfare rates (benefits)
Benefit Amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program Starting January 1, 2008
(PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)

NOTE: for families with children, you must add in the amount of the child assistance payment.
Child assistance payment - The child assistance is intended to cover the basic needs of children under age 18 in low-income families, taking into account the Canada Child Tax Benefit paid by the federal government.
Calcul@ide - to help calculate refundable tax credits under the Child Assistance and Work Premium measures
Child Assistance - since January 2005, the child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.
Changes to Child Assistance in 2007 - in order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

Latest search results on Google.ca for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Quebec"

- Web search results
- News search results
- Blog search results

Related Links
* Pacte pour l'emploi (Employment Pact) - Announced March 18, 2008
(One billion dollars over three years to improve participation in the labour market and productivity)
* National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (Overview and links to related documents)
- An Act to combat poverty and social exclusion
- Progress reports on the National Strategy - links to annual reports for years one, two and three of the Strategy
-
Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (research centre on poverty, set up under the Strategy)
- Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (Advisory committee, set up under the National Strategy)
- Poverty Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador (Oct/07) - from the Parliamentary Research Library (Govt. of Canada)
* Main changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act : New programs as of January 1, 2007 (PDF, 145K, 2 pages)
* Québec Parental Insurance Plan
* Guide to Government Programs and Services for Families and Children in Quebec (updated to May 2007)
* The Insertion Model or the Workfare Model? The Transformation of Social Assistance within Quebec and Canada (September 2002) --- Excellent Quebec welfare reform information!! (from Status of Women Canada)



For more information about welfare in other Canadian jurisdictions,
see the Canadian Social Research Links Key Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page


Guide to Government Programs and Services for Families and Children in Quebec
(updated to May 2007)

Excellent, comprehensive collection of federal and Québec government programs for families and children living in Quebec - this is compulsory reading for anyone interested in Quebec health and social programs!
Includes detailed descriptions of a wide range of programs and initiatives in the following areas:
- Legal Framework of Families (family law matters, e.g., marriage, common-law relationships, same-sex relationships, adoptions, legal aid)
- Registry Office Registrations (vital statistics: births, marriages, deaths, name/sex changes)
- Children Alimony (called child maintenance elsewhere in Canada, incl. support obligations of grandparents)
- Family Benefits (Québec Family Allowance, Québec Allowance for Children With Disabilities and Canada Child Tax Benefit)
- Tax Assistance for Families (Québec and Federal Government tax measures)
- Parental Leaves (federal Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits and compassionate care benefits, the Québec Maternity Allowance, etc.)
- Financial Support for Childcare ($7/day child care, child care and last resort assistance [welfare] / students / job reentry programs)
- Support for Low-Income Families (Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) Program, Social Assistance Program, Special Benefits for Social Assistance Beneficiary Families)
- Housing Assistance (Low Cost Housing Program ["HLM"], rent supplements, housing allowances, residential renovation programs, etc.)
-
Protection of Children’s Rights
- Foster Families
- Services to Persons With Disabilities

-
Support to Immigrant Families (Airport Reception Service, Information and Settling Assistance, Refugee Reception and Installation Program, job assistance, etc.)
- Recognition of Spouse and Dependent Children in Some Public Insurance Plans (Québec Pension Plan / Automobile Insurance / Workmen’s Compensation)
- Health Insurance (Medical Services, Dental Services, Optometric Services, Health Insurance Card)
- Drug Insurance (General Plan Conditions, Annual Premium, Contribution)
- Assistance to Crime Victims
- Assistance to Delinquent Mothers

- Health Services and Social Services (Overview - Service Centres of Health and Social Service Network - Family Medicine Groups - Programs for Children and Young Parents - Financial Support for Parents of Triplets or Quadruplets)
- Educational Services (Québec School System - Elementary and High School Education - College and University Education - Adult Education)
- Leisure Activities and Sports
- Culture

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

.

Government of Québec - Home Page

News Services - incl. links to * Today's press releases * Invitations to the media over the past four days * National Assembly of Québec * Ministers and departments * Agencies and courts * Road information * Webcasting * Personalized e-mail * Main topics * Regional press releases * Search

QuebecNews.com
- from the Ministère de Relations internationales
English translations of articles and news (current and archived) from the Québec press


Commission on Fiscal Imbalance ("La Commission Séguin")
"The Québec government set up the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance on May 9, 2001,
to identify and analyze the basic causes of the fiscal imbalance between the federal government and Québec and to invite and collect opinions and suggestions from experts and stakeholders in Québec and elsewhere regarding the practical consequences of this imbalance and concrete solutions to put forward to correct it."

Quebec Commission on Fiscal Imbalance Report Released March 7, 2002
"This report of just over 200 pages deals with the nature and scope of fiscal imbalance, its causes, consequences and the proposed solutions. The report contains some twenty recommendations that seek major transformations in intergovernmental fiscal relations within Canada".
[en français...]

Report of Commission on Fiscal Imbalance - News Releases (March 7, 2002)
On this page, you'll find five news releases concerning the Commission report and three other relevant releases dating back to May 2001.
Yves Séguin releases the report of the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance
Québec, March 7, 2002 - The President of the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance, Yves Séguin, today released the Commission's report, after submitting it to the Deputy Premier and Minister of State for the Economy and Finance, Pauline Marois.

Report of Commission on Fiscal Imbalance and Supporting Documents (March 2002)
On this page, you'll find the table of contents and summary of the report as well as a link to the complete report in PDF format. The page includes links to the following documents of the Commission.

Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements - Germany, Australia, Belgium, Spain, United States, Switzerland
Fiscal Imbalance: Problems and Issues – Discussion Paper for public consultation
Federal Transfer Programs to the Provinces – Background Paper for public consultation
Effective Occupation of Taxation Fields in Québec – Background Paper for public consultation
Federal Transfer Programs to the Provinces – Background Paper for public consultation (PDF file - 208K, 49 pages)

Bibliography - over 40 links to information (much of which is in English) by a variety of authors on CHST, CAP, Equalization, federal-provincial-territorial fiscal arrangements, transfer payments and economic and social policy issues.
An International Symposium on Fiscal imbalance that was to have been held in Québec City on September 13 and 14, 2001 was cancelled due to the events of September 11. The Symposium page includes links to the program and to notes from over a dozen presenters from 9 countries - some of which are extensive treatises of fiscal federalism and fiscal equilibrium.

National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion
With its National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, under the theme, “The Will to Act, The Strength to Succeed”, the Québec government intends to progressively transform Québec, over a ten-year period, into one of the industrialized societies with the least poverty.
- incl. links to: * Summary of consultation process * Bill * Parliamentary committee * Useful links * Policy statement * Summary of policy statement * Report on government action


NOTE: for a good objective summary of Quebec's ten-year National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, see:

Poverty Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador
October 2007
(Partial) table of contents:
* A. Framework Legislation
* B. Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion
* C. Mobilizing the Stakeholders
* D. Agencies: Research Centre and Advisory Committee
* E. Measuring Progress
* F. Critique of Quebec’s Action Plan
Source:
Parliamentary Research Library
(Government of Canada)

An Act to combat poverty and social exclusion, R.S.Q., chapter L-7
Québec is the only Canadian jurisdiction to enshrine its anti-poverty strategy in legislation (passed in December 2002).
As noted above, the goal of the strategy is to make Québec one of the industrialized societies with the least poverty within ten years, by 2013.

Among its many provisions, the statute establishes two related entities: a multisectoral advisory body to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan and an "observatory" where information on poverty and social exclusion is collected and disseminated. These two entities are discussed below.

Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale
(Advisory committee in the strategy against poverty, set up under the National Strategy)
- incl. links to : Comité consultatif (About) - Initiatives to combat poverty and social exclusion - Feedback - Press releases - Publications - Useful links
---
NOTE: The Comité consultatif is a public body whose role is to advise the Québec Minister responsible for the application of the Action Plan to combat poverty and social exclusion. This mission is not unlike that of the National Council of Welfare (NCW) at the federal government level with respect to the Minister responsible for Human Resources and Social Development Canada, that is, to represent the interests of all Canadians in offering counsel to the HRSDC Minister in all matters relating to social development. Both the Comité consultatif and the NCW carry out evaluations and other studies, and they present their views and and recommendations directly to the Minister responsible and also to the public. Both groups also monitor the social policies of their respective governments with a special focus on the impacts of new policies on the incidence of poverty and social exclusion.
---

Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (CEPE)
(Centre for the study of poverty and exclusion)
The Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion is an observation, research and discussion centre entrusted with providing reliable and rigourous information, notably of a statistical nature, on poverty and social exclusion issues. Created within the context of the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion, the CEPE acts under the aegis of the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS) and is managed in collaboration with a steering committee composed of members working in the academic research or government sector, or working with people who are experiencing poverty or social exclusion.
- incl. links to:
* Introduction to the CEPE * Statistics * Research activities * Publications * Lexicon * Useful links

Recent CEPE reports:

February 7, 2008
Report on low incomes in Québec
This document describes poverty trends in recent years and the proportion of low-income family units among Quebecers, the gap between their income and low-income thresholds, the duration of their situation, and their main sociodemographic and economic characteristics. More detailed information is provided about unattached persons and last-resort financial assistance recipients.
Details and document
Press release (PDF, 94 ko) (French)

February 7, 2008
New "Other Documents" section
You can now consult the new Other Documents section, which comprises a number of documents that are considered to provide important information for understanding poverty-related phenomena.

February 7, 2008
Strategic plan for anti-poverty research and knowledge transfer
The purpose of this strategy is to increase research efforts aimed at a fuller understanding of the problem of poverty and to contribute to producing lasting solutions. The strategy insists on the importance of knowledge transfer and appropriation and the need to make research results known and easy to access.
Details and document

Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (CCLP) - English page
[Consultative Committee on the Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion]
"...The primary role of this committee is to advise the Government of Québec on the actions implemented under the National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion."

Key Reports

Annual Progress Reports on the Government Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion:

Year One (2004-2005) Report (PDF file - 605K, 47 pages)
June 2005

Year Two (2006-2006) Report (PDF file - 965K, 38 pages)
--- Summary (PDF file - 181K, 7 pages)
October 2006

Year Three (2006-2007) Report (PDF file - 869K, 32 pages)
--- Summary (PDF file - 281K, 2 pages)
October 2007

Related links and historical reports:

Government Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (PDF file - 400K, 66 pages)
April 2004
"(...)This Action Plan is built around two principles: economic security and social inclusion through employment, and increased protection for people with significant employment limitations."
(Excerpt from the Minister's message)

The Will to Act - The Strength to Succeed
Policy Statement
(PDF file - 519K, 52 pages)
Summer 2002
"Together, we can give new impetus to Québec's development, strengthening our social cohesion to ready ourselves for the challenges of the third millennium. With the will to act, we will have the strength to succeed."
[Excerpt from the conclusion]

National Strategy to Combat Poverty and social exclusion:
Summary Policy statement
(PDF file - 85K, 3 pages)
Summer 2002
"The National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion centers around three converging goals:
- To improve the economic and social situation of people living in poverty or marginalized by society;
- To reduce inequalities that specifically affect people living in poverty; and
- To take comprhensive action by developing a sense of social solidarity."

National Strategy to Combat Poverty : Don't Leave Anyone Out (PDF file - 481K, 37 pages)
Summer 2001
Don't leave anyone out! is a call for all partners and civil society to join forces in order to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged members of society, and to ensure that everyone has the means to make choices and participate in the life of his or her community.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related links to other websites:

Quebec poor getting poorer: report
April 3, 2008
By Kristy Rich
QUEBEC CITY - The Quebec government must do more to protect the buying power of the poor from the rising costs of living, says a government advisory commitee created to ensure the government is respecting its Anti-Poverty Law. Though the cost of electricity and public transit are increasing, committee Chair Tommy Kulcyzk says the government has not fully indexed welfare payments.(..) The report's 11 recommendations include compensating welfare recipients for the cost of increasing tariffs by comparative increases in their sales tax refund; and cutting the cost of public transit fares in half over the next decade.
Source:
CJAD (Montreal AM radio)

Rates that exclude, solutions that unite
The advisory committee makes its first recommendation

Today, April 3, 2008, in Montréal, the chair of the Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale, Mr. Tommy Kulczyk, addressed the repercussions of rate increases on the living conditions of low-income individuals with the release of the advisory committee’s first recommendation. The committee illustrates how rate increases on basic commodities like heating, electricity and transportation compromise the ability of the impoverished and socially excluded to integrate society. These increases contribute to social exclusion by forcing these people to spend too much of their meagre resources on basic commodities and increasing their isolation.
The members of the advisory committee feel there is an urgent need to act on a situation that is creating a breach in the efforts made by Québec to fight poverty and social exclusion. The committee has drawn up eleven unifying recommendations comprising short-, medium- and long-term actions that are fully sustainable in approach.

L’urgence d’agir relativement aux répercussions des hausses tarifaires (PDF - 46K, 2 pages) - available in French only.
Communiqué
Montréal, le 3 avril 2008 – Le président du Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale, M. Tommy Kulczyk, a rendu public aujourd’hui le premier avis de cet organisme créé pour conseiller le ministre responsable de la mise en œuvre de la Loi visant à lutter contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale sur les actions à entreprendre pour lutter contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale. Cet avis s’intitule « Des tarifs qui excluent… Des solutions qui rassemblent ».

Les répercussions des hausses tarifaires sur les
conditions de vie des personnes à faible revenu
(PDF - 1.1MB, 28 pages) - currently (April 6/08) available in French only (although a note on the inside cover page states that "this document is available in English; check the Committee's English home page to see if the English has now been posted on their site.)

Source:
Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (CCLP) - (English home page)
[Consultative Committee on the Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion]

NOTE : keep scrolling down for related links...

--------------------------------------------------------

Pacte pour l'emploi (Employment Pact)
One billion dollars over three years to improve participation in the labour market and productivity
Announced March 18, 2008
The Pacte pour l'emploi contains several new elements, and the entire approach is based on a mobilization of all labour market partners. This pact revolves around four pillars and contains a series of means and measures.
Press release and appendices (French only)
Pacte pour l'emploi website (French only)
Source:
Government of Quebec

Related links:

Quebec wants to coax people off welfare
March 19, 2008
Faced with a growing labour shortage, the Quebec Liberal government introduced measures to get more people off social assistance and working in budding industries.
Source:
CBC

***********************
NOTE : the CBC article above states that "about 183,000 Quebecers are currently on welfare, including 20,000 under 25."
This is incorrect --- those figures represent only those welfare clients who are able-bodied and employable.
The total number of welfare recipients in Quebec in January 2008 was 488 013.
[ Source: http://www.mess.gouv.qc.ca/telecharger.asp?fichier=/publications/pdf/stat_012008.pdf ]
***********************

Quebec pledges nearly $1-billion to boost work force
By Rheal Seguin
March 19, 2008
QUEBEC — The Quebec government is turning to welfare recipients and the unemployed to fill the huge gap in the province's labour shortage.
Source:
Globe and Mail

--------------------------------------------------------

From the Family Network
[Canadian Policy Research Networks ]

A Focus on Income Support: Implementing Quebec's Law Against Poverty and Social Exclusion
May 28, 2004
Commentary (13 pages)
by Alain Noël
"For the time being, it is probably good to praise an effort that was not expected and that appears, in many ways, well intentioned and valuable. From now on, however, the combat will have to continue, not only against poverty and social exclusion, but also against prejudices and a perennial lack of vision. For this, the best guarantee remains the vigilance and the strength of public interest organizations that have proved, in recent years, remarkably able to seize the initiative and define the political agenda." (Excerpt)
- assessment of the Charest government's action plan against poverty and social exclusion in Quebec (which was released on April 2) by Alain Noël, who prepared an essay on the original anti-poverty law late in 2002 (see the link below)
- comprehensive, detailed info on the new action plan, including welfare reforms taking effect over the coming year
[Click on the link above , then (on the next page), on the word "Download" under the author's name to open the document in PDF format]

A Law Against Poverty: Quebec's New Approach to Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
(December 2002, Alain Noël - CPRN)

--------------------------------------------------------

Collective for a Poverty-Free Québec
The Collective is a Quebec non-governmental organization whose aim is to promote a law that would eradicate poverty in the province. Visit the Collective's site to see the draft law to eliminate poverty.

[NOTE: the French version is more complete and current]

The Quebec Government Action Plan to combat poverty
Forward, backward, sideways...
April 18, 2004
"Social activists outside Québec will have been impressed by the Action Plan and by the impact of the Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion that mandated its publication. How could it have ever happened without such a law that a right-wing government invests, during its first year in office, the better part of $2.5 billion in direct improvements to the revenues of people living in poverty ?"

--------------------------------------------------------

The fight against poverty: A model law
"An excellent article by Camil Bouchard and Marie-France Raynault on Quebec’s ground-breaking anti-poverty law recently appeared in Le Devoir."
January 22, 2003
Source:
Canadian Council on Social Development

--------------------------------------------------------

A Law Against Poverty: Quebec’s New Approach to Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
by Alain Noël
December 2002
Full Report (PDF file - 554 K, 11 pages)
"On December 13, 2002, the National Assembly in Quebec unanimously adopted a law to “combat poverty and social exclusion.” Bill 112 is a framework law that includes a National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, a fund to support social initiatives, an “Observatory,” and an Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Poverty and Social Exclusion. This new law is unique in North America, and it constitutes a significant political innovation, if only because it makes poverty reduction an explicit and central policy priority. The bill is also the result of a remarkable process of collective action and public deliberation."
Source:
Canadian Policy Research Networks

--------------------------------------------------------

Quebec Renews Fight Against Poverty
June 2002
"On June 12, the Government of Quebec tabled a bill in the National Assembly aimed at establishing a strategy for poverty reduction in the province. This is a major step as Quebec takes the lead in putting poverty back on the public (and legislative) agenda."
- incl. links to five key documents
Source :
Canadian Council on Social Development

 

- Go to the Antipoverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm


.

Ministries and Documents

.

National Assembly of Quebec
HOME PAGE
- incl. links to : Members -
Parliamentary Proceedings - Organization and Proceedings


.

Emploi et Solidarité sociale - Employment and Social Solidarity


Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
(MESS)
[Employment and social solidarity]
Financial assistance for families
Centre de recouvrement
Social assistance
(welfare)
Income Support Program for Workers Affected by Collective Dismissals in the Resources Regions
Income Support Program for Workers Affected by Collective Dismissals in the Textile and Clothing Sectors, Excluding the Resource Regions
Labour Market Information On-line
Local employment centre locator
Mesure de soutien aux activités de lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale Année 2004- 2005
On-line Placement
Québec Parental Insurance Plan
Secrétariat à l'action communautaire autonome (SACA)

More MESS links (site map)...

Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS)
- includes info about and links to : Centre de recouvrement * Emploi-Québec * Secrétariat à l'action communautaire autonome du Québec * Sécurité du revenu * Services à la famille * Ministers
* Department * Major issues * Programs and measures * Online services * Client Service * Statistics * Press releases * Publications * Forms * Frequently asked questions

Sécurité du revenu (Income security)
- incl. links to : General information * Description * Programs and measures * Défi-Mois * Social assistance * Income Support Program for Workers Affected by Collectives Dismissals in the Resources Regions * Ma place au soleil * Québec Maternity Allowance Program (PRALMA) * Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) * Québec pluriel * Solidarité jeunesse * Publications * Forms * Sites of interest

General information
The social solidarity services offered by Emploi-Québec are attached to the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS). In keeping with the provisions of the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the agency is responsible for administering last-resort financial assistance programs.

MESS Press Releases 
Click "Press Releases" in the left margin of the home page, then select news releases from the following sources: Department * Minister of Employment, Social Solidarity and Family Welfare * Minister for Family Welfare * Emploi-Québec * Find a press release

Department responsible for welfare
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)

Name of the welfare program
Last-resort financial assistance

Legislation

Individual and Family Assistance Act (Chapter 15, 2005) - Bill 57
Individual and Family Assistance Regulation
Source:
Laws and regulations administered by
the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity

[ Lois refondues et règlements du Québec ]

Main changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act
New programs as of January 1, 2007
(PDF, 145K, 2 pages)

Policy Manual
Assistance to individuals and families – General information (PDF file - 724K, 23 pages) November 2007
NOTE: the blue text box in the centre of the Last-resort financial assistance page also contains detailed welfare program info

Welfare statistics
Recipients under social assistance programs
Youth and social assistance programs
Previous statistics
[If you can read French, see Statistiques sur la clientèle des programmes d'assistance sociale for detailed caseload profile info]
See also:
Number of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare

Welfare rates (benefits)
Benefit Amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program Starting January 1, 2008
(PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)

NOTE: for families with children, you must add in the amount of the child assistance payment.
Child assistance payment - The child assistance is intended to cover the basic needs of children under age 18 in low-income families, taking into account the Canada Child Tax Benefit paid by the federal government.
Calcul@ide - to help calculate refundable tax credits under the Child Assistance and Work Premium measures
Child Assistance - since January 2005, the child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.
Changes to Child Assistance in 2007 - in order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

Latest search results on Google.ca for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Quebec"

- Web search results
- News search results
- Blog search results

Related Links
Pacte pour l'emploi (Employment Pact) - Announced March 18, 2008
(One billion dollars over three years to improve participation in the labour market and productivity)
National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (Overview and links to related documents)
- Progress reports on the National Strategy - links to annual reports for years one, two and three of the Strategy
-
Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (research centre on poverty, set up under the Strategy)
- Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (Advisory committee, set up under the National Strategy)
- Poverty Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador (Oct/07) - from the Parliamentary Research Library (Govt. of Canada)
Guide to Government Programs and Services for Families and Children in Quebec (updated to 05/07)
The Insertion Model or the Workfare Model? The Transformation of Social Assistance within Quebec and Canada (September 2002) --- Excellent Quebec welfare reform information!! (from Status of Women Canada)


Available in French only from the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale:

Rapport annuel de gestion 2005-2006 du ministère
de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
(fichier PDF - 3,8Mo, 112 pages)
Le 17 octobre, le Rapport annuel de gestion 2005-2006 du ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale a été déposé à l’Assemblée nationale.

Journée internationale pour l'élimination de la pauvreté
- Bilan positif du gouvernement du Québec pour son engagement à lutter contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale
Communiqué de presse
Le 17 octobre 2006
À l’occasion de la Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la pauvreté, la ministre de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale a déposé, aujourd’hui, le bilan de la deuxième année du Plan d’action gouvernemental en matière de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale. La deuxième année de mise en œuvre du plan d’action a été marquée par la poursuite des efforts déjà consentis et par la réalisation de nouvelles mesures.

Plan d’action gouvernemental en matière de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale 2004-2009
Bilan de la deuxième année
(fichier PDF - 812Ko, 41 pages)
Octobre 2006


Selected site content:

January 1st, 2008
Benefit amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program starting January 1, 2008
(PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)
On January 1, 2008, benefits granted to persons in the Social Solidarity Program will be increased by 1,21%. The benefits of independent adults housed or required to live in an establishment for the purpose of their re-entry into the community and the benefits of minor adults housed with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also increased by 1,21%. Benefits granted to persons in the Social Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are increased by 0,61 %.

February 8th, 2007
Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program
The mini brochure “Last-resort financial assistance programs and liquid assets” (cash and negotiable assets) is now available.
Brochure (PDF file - 271K, 15 pages)

February 7th, 2007
Statistics on employment-assistance recipients
Official employment-assistance statistics are available in the official databanks on the website of the Banque de données des statistiques officielles du gouvernement du Québec.

Benefit Amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program
Starting January 1, 2007
(PDF file - 133K, 5 pages)
On January 1, 2007, with two new last-resort financial assistance programs in effect under the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the benefits granted to persons who qualify for the Social Solidarity Program are to be indexed by 2.03%, that is, by the rate used for indexing the Québec personal income tax system. The benefits granted to independent adults who are admitted to a shelter or required to live in an establishment with a view to their social reintegration and the benefits of minor adults who are sheltered with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also to be indexed by 2.03%. The benefits granted to persons qualifying for the Social
Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are to be adjusted by 1.01%.

For more information on the new programs, see
The Individual and Family Assistance Act,
Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program come into effect

Dec. 8, 2006

The Individual and Family Assistance Act, Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program come into effect
December 8th, 2006
The Individual and Family Assistance Act, adopted by the National Assembly on June 15, 2005, will come into effect on January 1, 2007. This Act creates programs and measures promoting the economic and social autonomy of individuals and families through assistance and coaching. Two of the programs will also come into effect on January 1, 2007 and provide last-resort financial assistance to individuals and families lacking sufficient income to meet their essential needs. They are the Social Assistance Program and the Social Solidarity Program, which replaces the Employment-Assistance Program.

Main changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act
New programs as of January 1, 2007
(PDF, 145K, 2 pages)

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale<===this is the English home page of the Ministry
(Ministry of employment and social solidarity, responsible for welfare in Québec)

October 17, 2006
Financial Support Program
A new section of the Web site presents the financial support program to assist the overall mission of community development corporations working to combat poverty.

October 17, 2006
2005-2006 annual management report of the
Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale now available on the Internet
The 2005-2006 annual management report of the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale was tabled in the National Assembly on October 17 and is now available on the Internet.
Annual report (French only, PDF file - 3.8MB, 112 pages)


Changes to the Employment-Assistance Program (PDF file - 257K, 6 pages)
(eff. December 1/04, January 1/05 and April 1/05)
"Under the Government Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, new measures will be implemented to address employment and family issues, among others. These changes also reflect some of the principles stated in the Action Plan, in particular, to help individuals gain financial autonomy by promoting work and to achieve greater fairness between last-resort assistance recipients and low-income workers."

Employment-assistance benefit increases (PDF file - 205K, 4 pages)
-
employment-assistance benefits effective January 1, 2005

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
(English Home Page)

Related Links:

Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté - English Home Page (not as current as the French version of the site)



 

Related links and historical reports:

 

Liberals reinstate welfare penalties PQ abolished
Could lose $100 for living at home. Employment minister says move intended to 'permit people to get out of the house'

[no longer available online]
September 22, 2004
"Starting Jan. 1, Quebecers applying for social assistance will lose between $50 and $100 from their $540 monthly welfare cheque if they still live at home. Employment Minister Claude Bechard announced a series of changes aimed at saving the provincial government $44 million the first year and $220 million over five years. The measures aim to get people back to work if they are able to do so, he said."
Source:
Montreal Gazette


Recommended Reading on welfare reform in Quebec!

The Insertion Model or the Workfare Model?
The Transformation of Social Assistance within Quebec and Canada
September 2002
Sylvie Morel, Université Laval
"This research project involves a comparative analysis of changes in social assistance policies in Canada, particularly in Quebec"
Complete Report (HTML version)
Complete report (PDF version
- 2.4MB, 190 pages)
"...we conclude, based on the cases of Quebec and Ontario, that Canada is currently evolving towards workfare, but encompasses several variants."
Source:

Policy Research Publications
[Status of Women Canada]

-----------------------

Québec's report to the UN Special Session on Children

Un Québec digne des enfants : le plan d’action pour les enfants (fichier PDF - 420Ko., 38 pages)
[NOTE: this document is available only in French. ]
Services à la famille
27 janvier 2005
Ce document fait suite à la Session extraordinaire des Nations Unies consacrée aux enfants qui s’est tenue à New York en mai 2002. À cette occasion, les États membres, dont le Canada, ont renouvelé leurs engagements de fixer de nouveaux objectifs afin de mieux soutenir les enfants.
Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (page d'accueil en français du Ministère)
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English home page of the Ministry)

Liens connexes:
Plan d'action national pour les enfants [du site de l'Agence de santé publique]
Les droits de l'enfant (une page de liens sur le site que vous visitez présentement)
Agence de santé publique (ministère du gouvernement fédéral)

.

Ministère de la Famille, des Aînés et de la Condition féminine (MFACF)
[Families, seniors and status of women]

Family and Child Care Services - incl. : Financial assistance * The family, a priority of our society * Municipalities and Regional County * Community organizations * Childcare services * Work-Family Balance * Presentation * Consultation documents * Frequently asked questions * Childcare services * Consultation on childcare funding and development o Background on consultations * Presentation * Types of childcare services * Choosing the right childcare establisment * Places at the reduced contribution program o Children aged 0-4 years o Children over than five o Related documents * Educational program
* Special needs * Heath and safety o Safety in space * Ensuring quality service o Grandir en qualité * Contract between a childcare establisment and a parent * Making a complaint * Staff * Frequently asked questions * Québec Parental Insurance Plan * Useful links * Publications * Frequently asked questions * Administration of a childcare establishment

Seniors - incl. : General Information * Background * Mandate * Mission * Situation of the Elderly * Social adaptation * Needs and expectations * Agind of the Québec population * Government Action * Programs and Mobilizing projects * Programs * Mobilizing projects * Community Organizations * Useful links * Organizations * Government sites * Contact us

Secrétariat à la condition féminine - there's quite a bit more content on the French version of this site, but there are some interesting English publication links, especially Beijing + 5 Documents.

More links from MFACF:

Administration of a childcare establishment
Calcul@ide
Childcare establishment locator
Childcare services
Consultation on seniors

Educational program

Guide to Government Programs and Services for families and children

Places at the reduced contribution program children aged 0-4 years

Places at the reduced contribution program children over than five

Rose d'or program

Statistics
More links...

Child Day Care in Quebec

Governments of Canada and Quebec Sign First Funding Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care
News Release
October 28, 2005
"Montreal, Quebec — Prime Minister Paul Martin and Quebec Premier Jean Charest, along with federal Social Development Minister Ken Dryden, Quebec’s Minister of Families, Seniors and the Status of Women Carole Théberge, President of the Privy Council and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Lucienne Robillard, and Quebec’s Minister for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs Benoît Pelletier,announced today an historic agreement concerning the transfer of $1.125 billion over five years under the federal government’s Early Learning and Child Care Initiative."
Canada - Québec Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care (PDF file - 78K, 8 pages)
- text of the agreement
Source:
Social Development Canada

Quebec's innovative early childhood education and care policy and its weaknesses (by Pierre Lefebvre) (PDF file - 12K, 6 pages)
"Adopting a public policy perspective, family policy expert Pierre Lefebvre describes the $5-per-day child care program in Quebec and argues that much of the current debate about the future of this policy is tainted by wishful thinking. This state of mind, he suggests, is preventing the government and parents from facing important weaknesses, notably the fact that the policy favours higher income families, is unfair to families who choose to care for their children themselves or do not use nonparental child care, and is not well suited to parents working part time or nonstandard hours."
Source:
Policy Options March 2004 Issue
[
Institute for Research on Public Policy ]

The fight for day care
by Pierre Beaudet
September 5, 2003
"The confrontation between the Liberal government elected last April and Quebec's popular movement has started. It was expected, it was announced, we all knew it was coming and now, it's happening. The issue: the future of the $5-a-day popular community-owned day-care centres, which were launched under the Parti Quebecois government two years ago."
Source : rabble.ca - "News for the rest of us"

Related Links:
Google Canada Web : Quebec, day care
Google Canada News : Quebec day care

Campaign 2000 urges Premier Charest to reconsider proposed changes to Quebec's childcare system
August 28, 2003
"The Honourable Jean Charest
Premier of Quebec
Dear Mr. Charest:
I recently learned that your government is proposing to change some key principles and practices of the educational childcare services that are the cornerstone of progressive family policy that Quebec has pioneered since 1997. (...)"
Source: Campaign 2000

Related Link:

Childcare services
[ Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale ]


.


Régie des rentes
- Quebec Pension Board

HOME PAGE

Site Map - complete site at a glance

The Régie des rentes du Québec is responsible for applying the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan, the Supplemental Pension Plans Act and administering the family benefits program.
There are many programs that can be helpful at various stages in life: retirement, birth, death, etc.

* Québec Pension Plan

Related link:

A Tale of Two Pension Plans: The Differing Fortunes of the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans (PDF file - 192K, 46 pages)
Ed Tamagno
January 2008
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) are headed towards an historical crossroads. The most recent actuarial valuation of the CPP shows that the federal scheme is sound in its financing and should remain financially sound for the foreseeable future, without the need for any increase in its contribution rate over the next 75 years. Not entirely so, however, for the QPP. Although the Quebec plan is in no imminent financial difficulty, its most recent actuarial valuation indicates that changes to the QPP’s financing or benefits must be made well before 2050 or the scheme will be unable to meet its commitments fully after that year. This paper examines the reasons for the divergence in the financial projections of the Canada and the Quebec Pension Plans and proposes ways in which the parallelism of the two schemes, which has been a mainstay of federal and provincial policy for over four decades, can be maintained.
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy

* Supplemental pension plans
* Family benefits
* Child assistance

Child assistance
- refundable tax credit for child assistance, paid directly to families
- two components:
a child assistance payment and a supplement for handicapped children.
This measure replaced the current family allowance, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and tax reduction for families.

Frequently Asked Questions about child assistance - almost 40 questions, detailed info on the program

Calcul@ide "helps you calculate in three easy steps the refundable tax credit you may be entitled to under the new Child Assistance and Work Premium measures. These two measures are unrelated and have specific features that Calcul@ide does not necessarily consider. You may be eligible for one, both, or neither measure, depending on your situation."

Supplement for handicapped children
The allowance for handicapped children is for children who have an impairment or developmental disorder that significantly limits them in their daily activities for a period expected to last at least one year. 

Work Premium --- General information - Conditions - Amount of the work premium - Advance payments

Source:
Revenu Québec

Reducing IncomeTax (PDF file - 258K, 70 pages)
(from QC Budget 2004-2005)
March 2004
"The existing Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) program is being replaced with a Work Premium that will come into effect on January 1, 2005. This new Work Premium is aimed at low-and middle-income workers. It will be higher for families and of special benefit to young parents. The premium can be paid in advance to families. The premium will increase the employment income of a couple with children by 25%, up to a maximum premium of $2 800 for an employment income of $14 800. The Work Premium will benefit roughly 536 000 low- and middle-income households, including 200 000 families with children. The Work Premium will provide a greater incentive to work and help
people get off social assistance."


Selected site content:

Children
If you have any dependent children under age 18, you may be entitled to child assistance, that is, the child assistance payment or if applicable, the supplement for handicapped children. If you or your spouse were to die, your children could be eligible for an orphan's pension. If you or your spouse become disabled, your children could be eligible for a pension for a disabled person's child.

Child Assistance
Since January 2005, the new child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.

Changes to Child Assistance in 2007
In order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

Soutien aux enfants : Statistiques de l'année 2006 (PDF - 708K, 53 pages)
[2006 statistics on child assistance]
July 2007
This document paints a detailed picture of Québec families in receipt of child assistance in 2006.
(Available in French only)
The report contains four sections. The first section is a ten-page overview of the evolution of Québec programs for families with children from 1961 to date (highly recommended!). The next two sections provide historical statistics for the program, and the last section provides regional information.
Source:
Régie des rentes du Québec (English home page)

Québec Parental Insurance Plan
On January 1, 2006, a parental leave plan adapted to the realities of Québec families will be born. Families are at the center of the Québec government’s priorities. The new parental leave plan constitutes a key element of its family policy. As of next January, families will benefit from this enhanced plan.
- incl. links to : Background - What is the QPIP - Conseil de gestion - Until January 2006 - Premiums - Publications - more generous - more flexible - more accessible - more for dad

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Link:

Government of Canada responds to the Supreme Court of Canada
decision on Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits
(Quebec Parental Insurance)
October 20, 2005
"GATINEAU, QUEBEC - On behalf of the Government of Canada, Belinda Stronach, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal, today expressed satisfaction with the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada concerning the Government of Canada's provision of maternity and parental benefits under the Employment Insurance (EI) program. 'The Government of Canada is satisfied with the Court's decision,' said Minister Stronach. 'EI continually evolves to meet changing labour market needs and following this decision, the federal government's EI maternity and parental benefits will continue to be provided as they are today. Canadians can continue to count on these benefits being there when they need them.'"
Source:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adoption of Act to amend the Act respecting parental insurance (Bill 108)
June 17th, 2005
"Bill 108, which amends the Act respecting parental insurance, was adopted yesterday by the National Assembly. In the words of Michelle Courchesne, Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, 'This is excellent news for thousands of Québec families, who will finally be able to benefit, starting January 1, 2006, from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan — the most flexible, generous and accessible in North America.'"

Bill 108 - An Act to amend the Act respecting parental insurance and other legislative provisions (PDF)

An Act respecting parental insurance
Bill 140
(2001, chapter 9)

Government of Canada concludes an Agreement in Principle on Quebec's Parental Insurance Plan
News Release
May 21, 2004
(Posted May 25)
"MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC - The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Health, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister responsible for Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today signed an Agreement in Principle on Quebec's Parental Insurance Plan with representatives from the Government of Quebec. Discussions between the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have been ongoing since February 2004. 'The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of supporting parents in their efforts to balance work and family life', said Minister Pettigrew. 'Quebec's proposed plan builds on the foundation of maternity and parental programming, which the federal government has built under the EI program over the past 30 years.'"
Source:
Employment Insurance (EI) and maternity, parental and sickness benefits
[
Employment Insurance ]
[ Human Resources and Skills Development Canada ]

Related Links from the Québec Government:

Maternity and parental leave
- from the Commission des normes du travail du Québec (labour standards commission website English home page )

Related Links:

Quebec, Ottawa sign parental leave deal
March 1, 2005
"MONTREAL – The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have reached an agreement regarding Quebec's parental insurance plan. The deal signed Tuesday by four cabinet ministers from Quebec and Ottawa is more generous than the Employment Insurance-based program used elsewhere in Canada. The two-week waiting period for getting benefits will be eliminated. New mothers now have a choice: they can take a larger income for a shorter leave, or they can take a smaller percentage of their usual income for a period just short of a year. There's something for new fathers in the plan which is being called "progressive": five weeks of paid parental leave."
Source:
CBC Montreal

Quebec signs parental-leave deal with feds
March 1, 2005
"(...)The federal government will give Quebec $750 million annually to run the program, which Lucien Bouchard's government formally requested in 1997. (...) The deal affects approximately 80,000 people per year in Quebec. The new program takes effect Jan. 1, 2006."
Source:
CBC Ottawa

Québec parental leave provisions:

Becoming a Parent (PDF file - 3.2MB, 52 pages)
Dated November 2004
- incl. information on maternity and parental leave in Québec and maternity and parental benefits under the federal Employment Insurance program.
Source:
Régie des rentes du Québec (English Home Page)

Maternity and parental leave
- from the Commission des normes du travail du Québec (labour standards commission website English home page )

Federal Employment Insurance provisions:

Employment Insurance (EI) and
maternity, parental and sickness benefits

- scroll down to read the whole page or click "Parental Benefits" (18th link from the top on that page) to jump directly to EI's parental leave rules.
Source:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

Also from HRSDC:

Work and Family Provisions in Canadian Collective Agreements
- scroll halfway down the page to "Chapter II - Maternity, Parental, and Adoption Leaves and Pregnancy-Related Provisions"


.

Santé et Services sociaux - Health and Social Services

HOME PAGE

Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec - (English) - Quebec Health Insurance Board

From the CBC:

Task force urges more private health care in Quebec
February 19, 2008
A provincial task force is recommending health-care user fees and greater privatization to guarantee the viability of medical care in Quebec.The task force, headed by former Liberal cabinet minister Claude Castonguay, calls for a shakeup of principles guiding medical care in Quebec to control spiralling costs.

Quebec report raises union private health-care fears
February 18, 2008
Quebec's largest labour federation is worried an impending report on health-care financing will clear the way for two-tiered care, allowing private services at the expense of the public system.
TIP: this page contains links to three more articles, under "Related".

More media coverage of the Castonguay report (from Google.ca)
Le rapport Castonguay sur le financement du système de santé québécois (liens médiatiques de Google.ca)

From the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE):

Shelve Castonguay, support medicare
February 20, 2008
A Québec government-sponsored report calling for radical privatization of the health care system came out this week just as the federal government proved once again that they're not willing to enforce their own laws on public health care. The Castonguay report's recommendations read like a laundry list for privatized health care.

Related links:

* Castonguay Report and recommendations
* Tabling of the Report Getting Our Money’s Worth (PDF file - 120K, 4 pages) - News Release February 19, 2008
Source:
Task Force on the Funding of the Health Care System (QC Government)

.

Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes  - Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat

HOME PAGE

Québec's Historical Position on the Federal Spending Power 1944-1998 (PDF file - 160K, 42 pages)
July 1998

Québec's Positions on Constitutional and Intergovernmental Issues from 1936 to march 2001

Other [English] Institutional and constitutional documents

.

Relations internationales - International Affairs

HOME PAGE
Check out this impressive collection of information about Quebec (history, language, social and economic profiles, relations with Canada and the rest of the world, etc.)

.

Institut de la statistique du Québec - Québec statistical institute

HOME PAGE
"The Institut is the central authority for the production and dissemination of statistical information for the government departments and bodies (except information produced for administrative purposes). The Institut is responsible for the carrying out of statistical surveys of general interest. The mission of the Institut is to provide reliable and objective statistical information on the situation of Québec as regards all aspects of Québec society for which such information is pertinent."

Browse or Search Official Statistics of Québec
On this page, you can do a regular keyword search for Québec statistics, or you can browse by theme --- click on one of the themes (Economic Structure - Society - Territory - The Economy and Finance) in the left column on the browse/search page and the list expands to show several sub-topics. For example, if you click Society, the list expands to seven sub-topics, including Families, Households and Living Conditions. To continue with this example, clicking on this sub-topic expands that list to six more topics, including Income and Expenditure and Social Programs. Links to these two sections are presented below as samples of the rich content of this site

Income - Québec data ("Income and Expenditure")
- incl. links to 30+ statistical reports under the following topics: Average Family Unit Income - Average Personal Income - Distribution by Income Group - Distribution by Quintiles - Gini Coefficient - Low Income Units

Social assistance (welfare) statistics
(Click on Society ===> Families, Households and Living Conditions ===> Social Programs)
[Note: some of the content in the tables is in French only. The "Definitions" button (near the top of the page) offers some information in English; you can use the "Request for Information" button (also near the top of the page) to submit a specific request to the website contact en anglais. - or you can try Google.ca's free translation service ]
- incl. links to recent reports on the number of households and individuals participating in the social assistance (welfare) Program. These reports are organized by administrative region, by family situation, by sex, by age and by education, all of which are useful in monitoring how well the program works for various clienteles.
Here are some other interesting statistical analyses that you'll also find on this page:
- "additional income clientele" (clients declaring income from outside sources, e.g., almost 36,000 of a total 107,000 adults receiving welfare in Quebec declared income from work in February 2004)
- number of adults receiving welfare, "according to cumulative-month period" (total number of months [continuous or not] in receipt of welfare)
- number of households receiving welfare, by type of residence (e.g., of the nearly 354,000 households [families/individuals] receiving Employment Assistance in February 2004, over 207,000 were either in rental accommodation or in social housing, while just over 20,000 were homeowners)

--------------------------------------------
Sample content from this site:
--------------------------------------------

Income inequality down between 1979 and 1989,
and back up slightly between 1989 and 2004
Communiqué
Québec, October 2, 2007 – In Québec, the level of inequality in disposable income rose slightly between the cyclical peak of 1989 and the year 2004 (+ 1.4 points). That increase was due to the one in the level of inequality in market income, not offset by tax and transfers. (...) This report presents a detailed historical perspective of disposable income inequality, measured using the Gini coefficient. The focus is on the contributions to the inequality of the income components: market income, tax and government transfers.

NOTE: the press release is available in English and French, but the report itself is only in French (see the link below "Document").

Document:

L'inégalité de revenu au Québec 1979-2004
Les contributions de composantes de revenu selon le cycle économique
(fichier PDF - 724 Ko, 65 pages)
Mise à jour : 2 octobre 2007

Québec Handy Numbers, 2007 edition (PDF file - 1.4MB, 57 pages)
March 2007
- includes statistics on :
* Territory
*Population (total, average age, population movements, marital status, landed immigrants, native language, residential environment, Census Metropolitan Areas, Cities of 100,000 inhabitants and over) *Living Conditions (families, households, dwellings, welfare, health and social services, education, culture and communications, labour market, unions, income, consumption) * Regions at a glance

Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd'hui et demain - Volume 2
(The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow)
June 2007
NOTE: this report is available only in French.
Read the press release below for more details in English.
HTML version
- incl. links to PDF files for each chapter
PDF version
- (4.8MB, 403 pages)

Related link:

Seniors: encouraging trends
Press Release
Québec, June 27, 2007 – Five main observations stem from a new study conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec:
* the contribution of people 65 years of age or older to the funding of public expenditures is growing;
* the rise in social expenditure per person has been modest since 1991;
* the standard of living of seniors is improving from several standpoints;
* certain groups will remain vulnerable; and
* changes are to be anticipated in the sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly population.
These findings are from the study entitled Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd’hui et demain (the life course of birth cohorts and the elderly: today and tomorrow), Volume 2.

Link to volume 1 of this study:

Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd'hui et demain - Volume 1
(The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow)
NOTE: this report is available only in French.
Released June 2004
The five chapters of this publication broach several of the main components of living conditions of tomorrow’s elderly:
* demographic characteristics and demographic aging
* mortality, causes of death and health status
* education and acquisition of knowledge
* consumption
* sources of income
* Highlights of Volume 1 (English, PDF file - 42K, 7 pages)

--------------------------------------------

Interprovincial Comparisons
NOTE: this is a key resource for Québec statistics --- *and* for those of other Canadian jurisdictions!
- it includes over 75 comparative tables, charts and maps, regularly updated (the right-hand column on the Comparisons page shows the most recent update)
"The statistics presented in the 'Interprovincial Comparisons' section are the joint effort of the Institut de la statistique du Québec and the Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes. The various tables, updated on an ongoing basis, provide statistics on the provinces, the territories, and Canada on topics like population, immigration, Canadian francophonie, the economy and legislatures. Particular attention is given to demography, manpower, interprovincial and international trade, investment and public finance. Lastly, the main stakeholders in intergovernmental relations are also named."

- includes links to individual sections of the report under the following headings:
Demography - Immigration - Canadian Francophonie - Production - Income [incl. Social assistance recipients by province/territory for 1999-2003] - Manpower [incl. Unemployment, 1984-2003] - Investment - Interprovincial Trade - International Trade - Consumption - Inflation - Financial Market - Public Finance - Federal Government Transfers [ incl. Transfers from federal government to persons, 1991-2001] - Legislatures - Portraits (Canada - The rest of Canada - Provinces and territories)

International Comparisons
-
main statistical indicators of more than 230 countries and territories, grouped by theme: population and income, labour force and prices, gross domestic product, international trade and investments, education and communication, health.
Socio-economic Profiles by Country
Africa | America Central and the Antilles, and South America | North America | Asia | Europe | Oceania

See also:
Databank of Official Statistics on Québec
(See "Living Conditions and Well-being" for relevant stats)

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Poverty and socioeconomic inequalities in Québec:
Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec

NOTE: the press release for the Recueil is in both French and English, but the report itself is available only in French and in PDF format.
Use Google Language Tools to translate words, paragraphs and entire URLs.

Press Release
February 7, 2006
A new research tool :
The Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Institut de la statistique du Québec
unveil the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec
Québec, February 7, 2006 – The ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Institut de la statistique du Québec unveiled today the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec. This collection contains the figures for poverty and socioeconomic inequalities and presents the evolution of the situation of persons and families living in poverty. The collection provides data on over twenty indicators calculated using different conceptual and methodological approaches. The large number of indicators available reflects both the multidimensional nature of poverty and social exclusion and the variety of approaches and calculation methods developed to evaluate these phenomena.
Some of these indicators give an idea of the low-income rates in Québec. The low income measure (LIM), which presents the evolution of the proportion of low-income families between 1986 and 2002, the most recent years of statistics available, and the regional data for 2003. Others make it possible to compare Québec to the rest of Canada, the portrait varying depending on the measure used. This collection is an excellent complement to Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale, which was published in November 2005 and gives a general overview of the myriad ways of defining and measuring poverty and social exclusion, while presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each indicator inventoried. It targets all persons, practitioners and organizations interested in the issues of poverty and social exclusion.

Complete report / Recueil complet:

Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec (fichier PDF - 461Ko, 135 pages)
Janvier 2006
- publié conjointement par l'Institut de la statistique du Québec et le Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

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New publication groups together poverty indicators
Press Release
November 10, 2005
"The Institut de la statistique du Québec presents, in collaboration with the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale. This publication inventories the various indicators that define and measure poverty. (...) Over 67 indicators and indices have been listed in three chapters: 32 of them are poverty and social exclusion indicators, 29 are related to poverty and social exclusion, and 6 are social development indices. The inventory has two objectives: first, to cover all aspects of poverty and the various angles from which it can be examined. It also aims at opening new avenues by presenting not only the indicators that have already been calculated for Québec, but also those that are used elsewhere (elsewhere in Canada, Europe, the United States and Australia) and which could be used in future compilations with a view to broadening the range of statistics available. Among the poverty and social exclusion indicators are various measures of poverty defined as insufficiency of income and its consequences."

NOTE: the complete report is available only in French,
but you can use the Google Language Tool to translate words, paragraphs or even entire pages of text. Try it!!

Complete report:

Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale (464K, 95 pages)
November 10, 2005
Table of Contents (unofficial translation):
Chapter 1 - Indicators of poverty and social exclusion: Measures (covering 14 different indicators) - Depth of poverty - Persistence of poverty - Links with governmental transfers - Inequality - Living conditions
Chapter 2 - Indicators related to poverty and social exclusion: Family wealth and income - Household expenses - Employment - Food security - Housing - Health - Education
Chapter 3 - Social development indices
- includes eight tables showing various low income thresholds for Quebec, Canada and the U.S.

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Aspects of the Context and Consequences of Domestic Violence
- Situational Couple Violence and Intimate Terrorism in Canada in 1999

(PDF file - 397K, 21 pages)
May 2005
"The first five sections of this paper present a brief summary of certain results contained in a 2003 report on the prevalence of domestic violence in Quebec and in Canada, based on data from the 1999 General Social Survey (GSS). The remaining sections describe and discuss the context and consequences of domestic violence in more detail, following the typology of domestic violence suggested by Michael P. Johnson (1995), making the distinction between Situational Couple Violence and Intimate Terrorism. Separate tables are presented for victims of current spouse/partner, for victims of a previous spouse/partner and for victims of a current or a previous spouse/partner, by severity of violence and sex of victim."