The Bloc Québécois tabled Saturday, during its general council, a proposal aimed at defining the mission of the party and which will be submitted to the vote of the delegates for the National Training Congress in May 2023.
Entitled “We, Quebecers”, the thirty-page document raises the various principles presented by the Bloc, and will be debated, amended and adopted at the convention to make it the new program of political training.
According to the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, this proposal will breathe a breath of fresh air into the party, in addition to reaffirming its values in connection with the economic development of Quebec.
“All the space is left to the militants within a framework of principles that we have defined,” explained the leader in an interview with The Canadian Press outside of the council. […] This is the first time that we have had complete freedom to define, specify and update our identity, our intentions and our vision, and we have done this by trying to be innovative”.
This is also the first time that the Bloc has engaged in such an exercise, and Mr. Blanchet said he was “extraordinarily happy” with how it went, adding that he had been “very involved” in the process. of writing.
Sovereignty and environment
The proposal brings together themes central to the party, such as secularism, relations with indigenous peoples, language issues and the environment, among others.
Mr. Blanchet said in an interview that he wanted to “advance the debate on sovereignty”, which, according to him, is illustrated by “generous, but in French” immigration, as well as an ecological discourse “incompatible with that of Canada”. The proposal thus aims to “refresh” independence notions, but by adapting to the rhythm of Quebecers.
“I don’t want people to pretend that tomorrow morning, 60% of Quebecers will vote ‘yes’ in the referendum; it’s wrong. It is by listening to them and discussing that we will return to the magic number of 50% and more, ”he said.
Asked about the reconciliation between the environmental cause and the creation of wealth, the leader of the party argued that Quebec should claim its power as a global player by asserting itself as a nation in its own right.
“The fight against climate change is a global debate; to participate in the global debate, you have to be a country, he said […] It is much more difficult for a province, and even more so a party within, to establish real international relations”.
He also declared that Canada was “one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to oil” and pointed out the contradictions within the federal government, particularly in relation to the financing of territories for exploitation in the North Atlantic.
Mr. Blanchet concluded by recalling the inefficient relations between the Aboriginal peoples and the federal government, which, according to him, only “buys peace with a check” without granting them a real right to speak.
“Those who go furthest in recognizing the right to self-determination of Aboriginal nations are the Bloc Québécois,” he summed up.
The general council, which was held at the Granby Convention Center in Estrie, brought together party deputies, riding presidents, the youth forum and members of the national office. During the day, the Bloc Québécois also adopted the rules for the next National Convention.