Privacy Policy
Please read the National Assembly’s privacy policy to familiarize yourself with the rules it applies to protect privacy and personal information.
Contact the Assembly to learn more or to comment on the policy or on how the National Assembly applies the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information.
User Responsibilities
The National Assembly recommends the following steps for maximum surfing security:
- use the most recent version of a browser that is compatible with a 128-bit SSL protocol
- erase the computer’s cache memory after sending the data
Information Gathered for Statistical Purposes
The National Assembly automatically gathers the following information from a visitor to its website:
- the visitor’s domain name
- a domain name is the part of a host name that specifically identifies the website of a given organization (for example, assnat.qc.ca is the domain name of the Assembly website)
- the visitor’s IP address
- this numerical address (for example, 123.45.67.890) specifically identifies a computer connected to the Internet network and allows it to be located
- the type of browser (Explorer, Firefox, etc.) and operating system (Windows, Mac OS) used
- the date and time of the visit
- the pages consulted
- the address of the referring site, if the visitor has accessed the Assembly website from another site
This information allows the Assembly servers to send a visitor a file compatible with his or her computer equipment.
It is not gathered with a view to identifying the visitor.
The information is kept and used by the Assembly to keep track of
- the number of visitors to its site
- the most popular pages
- the technology used by visitors
- the referring sites
- visitors’ countries of origin
Use of Cookies
The National Assembly does not place any permanent cookies on the hard drive of a visitor’s computer.
To improve certain features or functions of the National Assembly site (schedule of activities, search engine), a temporary cookie must be placed in the RAM of a hard disk. This temporary cookie is automatically deleted when a visitor leaves the site.
A visitor may deactivate cookies at any time by adjusting the preferences in his or her browser. However, this may deprive the visitor of certain functionalities, such as the ability to change character size, and make it more difficult to browse the calendar of activities or use the search engine.
Personal Information
Subject to parliamentary privilege, the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information applies to personal information gathered by the National Assembly. Therefore, no personal information is gathered without a visitor’s consent.
Under sections 64 and 65 of the Act, the National Assembly may not request personal information that is not necessary. Furthermore, it must identify itself and inform the visitor
- of the name and address of the public body on whose behalf the information is being gathered
- of the use to which the information will be put
- of the categories of persons who will have access to the information
whether the request is mandatory or optional
- of the consequences for the person concerned or, as the case may be, for the third person, in case of a refusal to reply
- of the right, provided by law, to access and correct the information
The National Assembly agrees, in accordance with section 65.1 of the Act,
- to only use the personal information provided on a form or questionnaire sent through the Assembly website to respond to a visitor’s question
- to transmit the personal information gathered to another government body only if the question is addressed to that body or if required by law
- not to use the information to create visitor profiles
- not to send the information to private organizations
Only authorized National Assembly personnel have access, in the exercise of their functions and tasks, to the personal information transmitted.
Transmission of Personal Information on Forms
The National Assembly gathers personal information from forms or questionnaires that visitors use
- to take part in an online consultation
- to comment on a topic under study
- to submit a request to address a parliamentary committee
- to sign an electronic petition
- to register for an educational activity
The fields that must be filled out on a form or a questionnaire in order for it to be processed are identified. Any other fields are optional.
The information entered on a form or a questionnaire is transmitted to the National Assembly over a secure connection, the URL of which is shown in the address bar and begins with “https”.
Transmission of Personal Information by Email
The National Assembly handles email as confidentially as regular mail.
The transmission of information by email is not totally secure. Consequently, the Assembly does not recommend sending personal information such as social insurance numbers or credit card numbers by email. For the same reason, the Assembly does not respond to questions by email if that would require the transmission of confidential information.
Links to External Websites
The National Assembly website contains links to sites maintained by other legislative assemblies, government bodies and public or private organizations within or outside Québec. Any information exchanged on these sites is not protected by the Assembly’s privacy policy, but is subject to the policy of the external site, if any.
Rights of Visitors to the Site
The National Assembly is committed to protecting the personal information of visitors to its site
- by keeping the information confidential
- by granting a person access to the information on him or her
- by correcting information that is incomplete or inaccurate
- by disposing of information if its collection, communication or retention is not authorized by law
To obtain access to or correct your personal information, you must mail or fax a written request to the person responsible for access to documents and the protection of personal information:
Valérie Roy
Assemblée nationale du Québec
Édifice André-Laurendeau
1050, rue des Parlementaires
5e étage, Bureau 5.49
Québec (Québec) G1A 1A3
Telephone:
- Québec City area: 418-528-0020
- toll-free: 1-866-337-8837
Fax: 418-528-0993
Email (for information only): af.juridiques@assnat.qc.ca
Administration of the Privacy Policy
Valérie Roy is responsible for access to documents and the protection of personal information and the administration of the privacy policy at the National Assembly.
If you believe that the National Assembly or a member of its personnel has not complied with the privacy policy, you may send a letter of complaint to the address above.