A neutral and independent mediator

In the opinion of Québec Ombudsperson Raymonde Saint-Germain, Bill 48 fails to clearly define the parameters governing the application of the government motor vehicle inspection program (vehicles 8 years old and over) introduced by the bill. It is also impossible to tell what impact the program will have on citizens. The Ombudsperson is therefore recommending that the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks clarify his intentions with regard to the parameters governing the program’s application. The Ombudsperson stated her position in a letter to the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, which begins deliberating today.

Our investigation results outline the facts and explain the action taken by the Québec Ombudsman. This week: a user who must undergo four hours of dialysis three times a week complained that the hospital centre’s equipment is uncomfortable. In another case, a soon-to-be mother contested the fact that she was not free to choose the place where she would have her baby.

This week, the Québec Ombudsman released two reports further to interventions involving the health and social services network. The first report contains proposed corrective measures, particularly with regard to delays and service quality, arising from an investigation it conducted at the emergency unit of Hôpital régional de Saint-Jérôme. The second report is in response to a tragedy experienced by a family that had been under the care of Centre jeunesse de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec for two years. In one of its recommendations, the Québec Ombudsman emphasizes the need for independent and unbiased case reviews so that situations such as the one described do not recur.

As consultations on Bill 71 (An Act respecting compensation measures for the carrying out of projects affecting wetlands or bodies of water) got underway today, Ombudsperson Raymonde Saint-Germain conveyed her comments to the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment.

Today the President of the National Assembly tabled the Québec Ombudsman’s 2012-2017 strategic plan (Conduire à la pleine solution, pour un, pour tous). The title captures how the Québec Ombudsman envisions its mission and actions. La pleine solution refers to the fact that a "full solution" is one that gets to the heart of a problem with a view to solutions that last. Pour un, pour tous is a reminder that if a situation denounced in a complaint harms more than one citizen, the solution sought must be the right one for all citizens.