Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois was created with one goal in mind: the sovereignty of Quebec. The party has been around since 1990 but exists solely in Quebec. It held 53 seats when Parliament was dissolved. The BQ was once Canada's official Opposition, with 54 seats after the 1993 election. The current party leader is Gilles Duceppe.
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Gilles Duceppe |
The Bloc's policies are geared toward the sovereignty of the province.
For obvious reasons, it does not field any candidates outside of Quebec.
» See the party platform (PDF)
If the party were to win (not possible without a coalition, given the
distribution of votes across the country), its first order of business
would be to find a way to secede. Barring that, its mandate is to push
for Quebec's interests at the federal level.
Visit the BQ website  .
Quebec typically has been a province where social programs and wealth
redistribution have been popular with voters.
The Bloc Québécois has been at the forefront of the push
for more information on the recent sponsorship scandal in Ottawa. In question period and the parliamentary hearings into the federal program, the Bloc has repeatedly taken the lead.
When it comes to federal-provincial matters, the Bloc feels strongly about keeping money local. It says
that 50 per cent of Quebecers’ taxes go to Ottawa, but they could
be better spent at home, under provincial control. For example, the feds
currently pay 14 per cent of the cost of health care in the province. The
Bloc would like health care to be completely under provincial jurisdiction,
with Ottawa granting tax points to Quebec to pay for it.
The party also says that human health is intricately tied to the environment.
Environmental protection is one of the major planks in its platform. The
party wants mandatory labelling for foods with genetically modified organisms,
and more incentives for the development of cleaner energy sources such
as wind and water, to discourage reliance on carbon-based sources.
On monetary issues, the Bloc would like to consider moving to a common
currency for the Americas, similar to the euro, or possibly using the U.S.
dollar in Quebec. It is calling on the federal government to reduce taxes
for middle-income earners, and crack down on the ability to shelter money
in tax havens. It has
repeatedly said that Prime Minister Paul Martin shouldn’t funnel
money from his family’s company through the Barbados, where taxes
are lower.
The party says it would move quickly to settle land claims in Quebec,
and work with First Nations groups to begin developing resources, where
possible.
The Bloc wants immediate recognition for Quebec at international forums.
It says it would increase aid to developing countries and support free
trade, as long as it’s balanced with mechanisms to distribute the
wealth fairly. |
