EMSB Chairman Mancini Calls Parent Commissioner’ Right to Vote “Historic”

As part of Bill 105, adopted by the Quebec National Assembly in December, parent commissioners now have full voting privileges. In a brief presented last year on Bill 86, legislation which would have abolished elected commissioners had it been adopted, the EMSB recommended that parent commissioners be legally vested with all of the rights, responsibilities and duties of commissioners elected through universal suffrage, including the right to vote.

The EMSB is governed by a chairman and 10 elected commissioners. There are four parent commissioners who were just elected for two year terms by the Central Parents Committee. They are Jason Trudeau (elementary), Mario Bentrovato (high school), Joanne Charron (special needs) and Norm Gharibian (no designation).

“We have advocated for parent commissioners to have voting rights for some time now,” said Ms. Mancini. “While we are not pleased with many of the aspects of Bill 105, notably for diluting some of the authority of elected commissioners, providing the right to vote for parent commissioners is a step in the right direction. Parent commissioners have always made important contributions around the Council table. The fact they did not have voting rights never made any sense to me.”