Quebec 1st, Canada 2nd; Blanchet’s Bloq Québécois’ Party

How Bloq Québécois Party Leader Yves-François Blanchet wishes to prioritize Quebec rather than the greater country hurts Canada.

There will never be a Bloq Québécois Prime Minister in Canada. If you wanted to be the leader of Canada, citizens must vote for one of your party’s representatives called ‘Members of Parliament’ or ‘MPs.’ The Conservative Party, Green Party, Liberal Party, and NDP have candidates campaigning in all or the majority of provinces and territories in Canada. The Bloq Québécois does not. All of the Bloq Québécois’ candidates live and campaign solely in Quebec.

The amount of MPs a province or territory gets is dependent on its population. Though the population of Quebec is high, it is not equal to every other province and territory. Yet with no chance of winning federally, the question, “Why this party exists?” is asked. The reason is inherently divisive.

The Bloq Québécois was created to provide an outlet for the separatist ideologies held by many in Quebec. The public opinion on separatism has changed, with Blanchet himself saying, “sovereignty cannot solve Quebec’s problems.” Despite this, the prioritizing of Quebec in all matters exists within this party. Not only does this make it difficult for consistent governance of Canada, but it splits the vote.

Despite the impossibility of Blanchet being Prime Minister, Quebec still has a massive sway in the election. The existence of the Bloq increases the probability of a minority government. Furthermore, a minority government increases the likelihood of a PC government. So what does this mean for Quebec?

A minority PC government will not have the same focus on the needs of Quebec as it would of those in Alberta or Ontario. The six billion dollars in transfer promised by the Liberal government towards affordable childcare will be scrapped and “replaced with a tax credit”. Said O’Toole

Quebec has arguably Canada’s most cost-effective child care program within the country, and a chance to improve it only stands to benefit all Québécois. In last night’s second french debate, Yves-François Blanchet’s Quebec first mentality puts the province at real crossroads with the rest of the country. He demands a King’s ransom from the Federal government but does not want them to intervene in any of the affairs of Quebec.

Blanchet acts as though Quebec is an independent country operating within Canada, he is the Prime Minister and the federal government is his personal ATM. Blanchet’s identity politics is dangerous for Canada and is the reason why many of the provinces across the country do not always have the most favourable opinion of Quebec.

To be clear, it does not mean the rest of Canada hates Québécois, they just really dislike the identity politics of the Bloq Québécois’ Quebec first and Canada second. During the second french national debate, Blanchet’s Quebec first attitude was on full display, which made the Bloq Québécois party look petty.

The Prime Minister of Canada is from Quebec, which means they will always be a priority. This begs the question, “why does Québécois continue to vote for a person who could never be Prime Minister?

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