DCHP-3

National Assembly

DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
national assembly

n. Politics, French relations

the provincial legislature of Quebec.

Type: 3. Semantic Change The provincial legislature of Quebec was called Legislative Assembly until 1968, when a bill was passed abolishing the Upper House and renaming the remaining Lower House the National Assembly. This term is used in many locations, such as France, which was the first country to style its legislature as such during the French Revolution. Some other nations within larger states also use this term, for example Wales (part of the United Kingdom).
See also COD-2, s.v. "National Assembly", and Gage-5, s.v. "National Assembly", which are marked "Cdn", ITP Nelson, s.v. "National Assembly", which is described as "of Quebec", and OED-3, s.v. "National Assembly" (2.c), which is marked "Canad. Polit.".

Quotations

1968
Premier Jean-Jacques Bertrand yesterday proposed legislation to scrap Quebec's Legislative Council, the only remaining upper house in any Canadian province. At the same time a name change would make the Legislative Assembly the National Assembly, a name borrowed from France and dating back to the French Revolution.
1977
An amendment to the provincial Legislature Act, which would clear the way for television and radio broadcasts from the Quebec national assembly, was introduced yesterday.
1985
The operating budget of Quebec's National Assembly rose by 46.5 per cent for the fiscal year 1984-85, while the average for the legislatures of the nine other provinces was about five per cent.
1998
Independent MP John Nunziata asked Mr. Bergeron if the Canadian flag should not be placed in Quebec's National Assembly.
2003
1977 -- A bill passed by Quebec's National Assembly made discrimination against homosexuals illegal in the province.
2013
Considering how desperate politicians everywhere are for the youth vote, and considering that the most strident proturban position in the National Assembly was taken by Quebec solidaire - a radical leftwing sovereigntist party with a youthful base - politicians of a mind to deplore petty demagoguery as such ought simply to muster their courage and do so.

References

  • OED-3
  • COD-2
  • Gage-5
  • ITP Nelson