The leader of the Bloc Québécois anticipated that the media would probably do too much to highlight the death of Queen Elizabeth II, after leaving the House of Commons before the end of the farewell speeches of the deputies to the sovereign.
“I just want to keep something clear, because I understand that there will be a temptation from some journalists, not you others I am convinced, to make it more sensational than it is”, dropped Yves -François Blanchet to the reporters as he left the bedroom on Thursday morning.
The leader of the sovereignist party at the federal level said he will not attend Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday, for which an event is planned in Ottawa. “We don’t have to repeat condolences ad nauseam, because at some point there is a line that I myself will not draw, where sincere condolences are going to be replaced by political expediency. »
Yves-François Blanchet had just delivered, like the other party leaders in Ottawa, his condolence speech “to anyone who is grieving following the death of Queen Elizabeth II”, during the special session held Thursday in the House of Commons. municipalities in the Canadian capital.
The politician pointed out that “the historic relationship between the crown of England and the Quebec nation is strewn with dramatic moments”. He added that he separates “the institution from the person”, but invited parliamentarians to “soon” hold a reflection on the future of the monarchy in the country. The Bloc members left the room after the speeches of the leaders and the observation of a minute of silence, in order to ” [laisser] Canada’s elected officials at their demonstration.
Other party leaders have used a very different tone. The Liberal leader and Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, notably repeated that the queen was “one of his favorite people in the world”. The leader of the official opposition newly arrived at the head of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, mentioned in French that Elizabeth II was “our queen”, and according to him “a model for all those who assume responsibilities in the service audience “.
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh included in his speech that the Crown has “a lot of work to do” to repair its relationship with peoples for whom colonization has brought war, violence, or loss of their language and their culture, among other examples.
“Her Majesty’s Most Loyal and Faithful Subjects”
No elected official objected to the adoption of a motion which proposed to send a word of condolence to the new king of Canada, Charles III, presented as “the most gracious of sovereigns”. The address called federal elected officials “Her Majesty’s Most Loyal and Faithful Subjects.” The Bloc members had left the room at that time, but had asked to register their opposition to the motion.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will fly out Friday to attend the funeral of Canada’s late head of state in London on Monday. He will be accompanied by his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the Governor General, Mary Simon, with her husband, Whit Fraser, former Governors General Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston, as well as former Prime Ministers: Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien , Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.
Also in attendance in the UK will be Indigenous leaders RoseAnne Archibald, Natan Obed, and Cassidy Caron, as well as diplomatic personnel, military and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The delegation finally includes singer Gregory Charles, among other members of the Order of Canada.
Finally, a ceremony will take place in Ottawa, also on Monday, followed by a commemorative parade to which the public is invited. Those responsible for the event said they did not expect the presence of demonstrators in the same streets which were occupied, earlier in the year, by a motorized convoy of opponents of sanitary measures.
The Canadian government has instituted a “national day of mourning in Canada” for Monday by giving its civil servants time off, while inviting the provinces to follow suit. In the midst of the election campaign, the Premier of Quebec quickly closed the door to this idea.