In 1990, Lucien Bouchard, at the time a federal minister in the Conservative government, left his party and took five other Conservative MPs with him to establish what was to become the Bloc Québécois. Today, with the Conservatives on the verge of radicalizing further to the right, the ten Quebec MPs in this party should seriously consider taking inspiration from Lucien Bouchard – breaking with their party and possibly even joining the ranks of the Bloc.
Posted yesterday at 10:00 a.m.
1990: the first breakup
After the defeat of the Meech Lake accord (and the adoption of the Charest report), Lucien Bouchard came to the conclusion that his party no longer defended the fundamental interests of Quebec and left the Conservative ship to form a rally of Quebec MPs to to restore a balance of power “of equals” between Quebec and Canada. Inspired by the Bloc Populaire of the 1940s, Bouchard wanted to unite Liberal and Conservative MPs under a single banner to defend the interests of Quebec. For Bouchard, it was time for Quebec to come together and regain its strength. His verdict was black on white: Quebec nationalists no longer had a place in the Conservative Party. Today, history seems about to repeat itself.
With the dismissal of leader Erin O’Toole by his militant base, many political commentators note that the divisions within the Conservative Party are simply too sharp to be reconciled by a new leader.
Perhaps, but the divisions plaguing the Tories are not an internal struggle, but rather exist between the Conservative base and its former leader, who wanted to keep the party more at the center of the political spectrum. In short, the party seems united in its new shift to the right.
The best example that illustrates this new reality is found in the party’s position on the issue of climate change. A year ago, O’Toole made a plea to its members to accept the reality of climate change at their annual convention. A few hours later – and in defiance of its leader – the Conservative Party votes by majority against a motion recognizing the existence of climate change. It is clear that the battle for the soul of the party is already over, and that it is the old “Reform” party which currently dominates, even if this was not always the case.
When the new Conservative Party came into existence in 2004, the Progressive and Reform clans chose to water down their wine and agree to union rather than endure 10 more years of Liberal rule. Reconciliation was difficult, but they managed to offer Canadians a credible alternative. Today, the dogmatism and the stubbornness of the party prevent it from progressing. Under Stephen Harper, the worst elements of the party were kept in check, but under the leadership of a would-be leader like Pierre Poilievre, the return of the Reform party and a shift to the extreme right became a reality.
hard choices
Quebec Conservative MPs will surely light several lanterns this week to pray for the return of Jean Charest as leader of their party. However, if Poilievre takes power, they will have little choice but to jump ship if they wish to save their Quebec soul. The partnership with a federal party remains a legitimate way to advance the interests of Quebec, but a new Reform party will take on the mission of silencing the voice of the Quebec people. The future of Quebec can only be shaped by Quebeckers themselves.
The Quebec caucus of the Conservative Party has already made compromises to the point where pride loses its name. If Poilievre becomes leader, they will have little choice but to break with their party and possibly negotiate an alliance with the Bloc Québécois, or become an independent group. As in 1990, the time may have come for Quebec to withdraw to re-establish a new balance of power.
When the Bloc Québécois was born, it was a refuge for Quebec politicians of all political philosophies to form a common front against to advance the interests of Quebec. Its institutionalization after the 1995 referendum changed its identity, but a return to its sources would do it good.