This is the beginning of the end for the Block of Martine Ouellet

Photo Boris Proulx
Martine Ouellet
Leader of the Bloc

Boris Proulx

Thursday, 1 march 2018, 00:00

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Thursday, 1 march 2018, 00:00

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OTTAWA | The judgment of death of the Bloc québécois could have been signed by the departure of 7 of his 10 mps yesterday, at least if the leader was heading to stay, believe ex-chiefs and scientists.

“It is dangerous for the survival of the party. Martine Ouellet has no other choice but to leave. When 70 % of the members of the caucus say that it doesn’t work… I’ve never seen that in politics, ” slice the ex-leader of the Bloc québécois, Gilles Duceppe.

Departures

If they have not obtained the departure of Ms. Ouellet, required as much for his personality, uncompromising to his vision of the party, the seven elected officials who have slammed the door now sit as independents.

Photo screen capture VAT New

Moved, the oldest member of the House of commons and co-founder of the Bloc québécois Louis Plamondon (at the center), announced with six other colleagues he was leaving the ranks of his party, disgusted by the attitude and the vision of the chief Martine Ouellet.

They form the ” parliamentary Group in quebec “. It is not recognized as an official party, because with less than 12 elected, but it will be twice the speaking time of bloquistes.

Among them, the dean of the House of commons and co-founder of the Block, Louis Plamondon, admits that his party will not come out grown out of this chicane.

“The crisis shaking the Bloc québécois is harmful both to the party itself than to the sovereigntist movement “, he blurted out, excited.

He adds, however, keep his membership card in the Block and would like to represent in 2019 for this party, if Ms. Ouellet leaves his place. “I’m gone, but I hope I have just said goodbye. “

The end

“I see hard to see how the party can survive these departures. I would not be surprised that the Block disappears in the next elections, ” said François Rocher, professor of political studies at the University of Ottawa.

“It could be the death warrant of the party “, advance also Réjean Pelletier, a political scientist at the University of Laval.

His colleague, Louis Massicotte confirms that it will be ” quite difficult for Martine Ouellet to stand for elections “, while André Lamoureux, a political scientist at UQAM, speaks of ” irreversible damage “. All agree that the policy sometimes surprises and that the death of the Block has already been announced incorrectly in the past.

For the ex-chief bloquiste between 2011 and 2013, Daniel Paillé, if Ms. Ouellet gets to survive politically this coup, ” the Block will not be the same party that one of Duceppe and Bouchard. That one is no longer in the picture “.

Ouellet rest

For Martine Ouellet, not about to resign. According to it, his party is not just its elected officials. “I have the support of the members of the Block “, $ -t-her, ensuring that she did everything to discourage his deputies from.

Echoes of the Parliament hill

“What happened is regrettable. I came to the meeting with an outstretched hand. The door is always open for their return. [But] it is not true that there is more of the Bloc québécois. The Block has already had a few mps in Ottawa, and it had all its place. “

– Martine Ouellet, head of the Bloc québécois

“It’s been almost a year since we saw it at the house. You think it’s funny now what happens ? We love this party [but] every week there was a confrontation, a misunderstanding […] it is not able to work together, there is no listening. “

– Gabriel Ste-Marie, independent member

“It is certain that to see the support of the sovereignty and continue to reduce slowly through the various polls, through the years, it is a good thing for the cause federalist. “

– Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada