Posted on 05/12/2007 7:09:00 AM PDT by canuck_conservative
OTTAWA - The Bloc Quebecois has a similar relationship to the Canadian body politic as the eponymous Alien had with the crew of the starship Nostromo -- that is, it would like nothing better than to burst through the chest cavity of its parliamentary host.
Since the party's raison d'etre is to break up the country, its leaders are required to keep their distance from other parliamentarians and be dispassionate about all issues that don't touch on Quebec. Gilles Duceppe has been the model for all future separatist leaders.
Never one to fraternize with anglos -- the Bloc prints all its releases in French only and doesn't return calls to the English media -- he has won grudging respect for bringing discipline and focus to a party that was in disarray when he inherited the leadership from Michel Gauthier in 1997.
The 2006 federal election saw the Bloc lose seats to the Conservatives and polls taken since Quebec's provincial election have seen the party's support dip below 30%.
Richard Marceau, the party's former justice critic who lost his seat in 2006 to the Conservatives, said Mr. Duceppe's strengths include his rigour, energy and discipline.
"We had a very disciplined caucus, which did not mean that the leader decided and everyone followed. We had big debates before a position was adopted but once it was adopted, people stuck to it."
Mr. Duceppe's electoral record was mixed. The party won 44 seats in the post-referendum election of 1997 and returned 38 MPs in 2000.
Polls suggested this slide was set to continue but the sponsorship scandal propelled the Bloc to match its record high of 54 seats in 2004, on the back of a slick campaign that adopted the slogan "Un parti propre au Quebec" -- a play on words that translates into "A clean party in Quebec."
However, the 2006 election saw the Bloc lose seats to the Conservatives and polls taken since the PQ's disastrous provincial election performance have seen its support dip below 30% (it won support of 42% of Quebec voters last year).
"The PQ's difficulties are pulling the Bloc downward," Mr. Marceau said.
The timing of Mr. Duceppe's departure may be auspicious for the party.
Mr. Gauthier, who stayed on as House leader after relinquishing the leadership, has already said he is going to step down at the next election and other senior figures such as Yvan Loubier have already left.
The Conservatives are crowing that Mr. Duceppe's departure is a tacit recognition that their brand of "open federalism" is working.
It is more likely that Mr. Duceppe recognized, heading into his fifth election, that he and the Bloc both needed a change.
Pierre Trudeau's contention that MPs are nobodies 50 yards off Parliament Hill is generous when applied to many of the remaining Bloc members, a number of whom wouldn't classify as household names in their own homes.
As such, the list of potential successors to Mr. Duceppe is short. Most informed speculation has centred on Pierre Paquette, the 52-year old economist who was first elected in the 2000 election and is now the party's finance critic.
Other names mentioned from within the caucus include environment critic Bernard Bigras and justice critic Real Menard.
Whoever wins will likely leave the Bloc's social democratic mandate untouched.
Mr. Marceau, who has ruled out running himself, said the Bloc has "lost its best player" in Mr. Duceppe but that he has left a solid team behind.
"When [Lucien] Bouchard left for the PQ, it was a one man show. But Duceppe has succeeded in creating a party with an organization that is independent from the PQ. Before that the Bloc was an appendage of the PQ.
"Now we do not always agree. He has built something that will outlast him," he said.
The good news for the rest of us is that the Bloquistes will likely be so consumed with feeding on their own during a leadership contest that they have little energy left to push for a general election.
Jivison@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2007
The BQ-PQ turmoil continues.
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Quebec sounds like a country ripe for a Muslim take-over, since now large numbers of Francophone Muslims will now be fleeing France (adults in the room again, doncha know). And if these Francophone African Muslims also express their willingness to make mischief against the Anglophone Canadians, the Quebecois would be more than willing to host them.
Just sayin’.
Don’t think so.
Outside of Montreal I believe you’ll find this the typical attitude...
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=ac491c78-76df-467b-ab58-2bc90e4bfb63&k=83142
No offense, but that’s ridiculous.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
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