June 10, 2004 - 1 — Le Protecteur du citoyen

34th Annual Report of the Protecteur du citoyen (2003-2004)

"For the citizen: building on common sense"

Québec, June 10, 2004 - The Protectrice du citoyen, Pauline Champoux-Lesage, tabled her 2003-2004 annual report before the National Assembly today which bears the title: “For the citizen: building on common sense”. Over the course of the year, some practices were brought to her attention which seemed sometimes unlawful, sometimes unreasonable or too often simply contrary to common sense, bearing in mind that “common sense” can be defined as “the ability to act reasonably”.

These practices have restricted benefits granted by the legislator to citizens or imposed on them unnecessarily stringent, if not downright harassing, measures or conditions in order to get access to the goods and services that they were entitled to receive. Furthermore, one often forgets that in matters of social legislation or compensation, one needs to apply a fair, large and liberal interpretation.

Finally, common sense also requires that one shows flexibility when granting time limits or collecting amounts owed to the State. In the latter case, too much determination may not only be abusive but also may put the citizen in an impossible position.

In 2003-2004, the Protecteur du citoyen also carried out a comprehensive study on the follow-ups conducted pursuant to recommendations issued between 1997 and 1999 in special reports regarding the Public Curator. Based on this analysis, the Protectrice du citoyen filed comments and recommendations to the Public Curator and the appropriate Minister.

These issues are highlighted in the report tabled today. While some major improvements have occurred in some sectors, much remains to be accomplished. To do this, the Public Curator must obtain the resources required to achieve what the Protecteur du citoyen deems to be a “social mission of the highest importance” since “a society is judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable citizens”.

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