Visit to Ottawa of Mr. Jacques Chagnon, M.N.A., President of the National Assembly of Quebec

On December 10, 2012, Mr. Jacques Chagnon, President of the National Assembly of Quebec, visited Ottawa at the invitation of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, and the Honourable Andrew Scheer, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons. He was accompanied by Ms. Johanne Whittom, Chief of Staff, Office of the President; Ms. Ariane Mignolet, Executive Director of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; and Mr. Richard Daignault, Advisor at the Interparliamentary and International Relations Secretariat.

In Ottawa, President Chagnon held meetings with:

• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Andrew Scheer, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable Bob Rae, P.C., M.P., Interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada; and
• The Honourable Thomas Mulcair, M.P., Leader of the New Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons.

The visit was an opportunity to foster bilateral relations between the legislatures of Quebec and Canada. Many topics were discussed during the various meetings, including parliamentary diplomacy, parliamentary procedure, and the importance of promotion of student exchanges.