The Bloc Québécois announced its platform the other day. It read like it was designed to amuse Quebec’s Péquistes and annoy the Anglophones. It also aligns the separatist party with the bigots and bullies in the Quebec City assembly. With the CAQ on a high at the moment with their discriminatory Bill 21, it sounds like the Bloc want to grow up to be just like them.
Bloc leader Blanchet would love to have the endorsement of premier Legault but Blanchet’s problem is that Legault can hardly expect the Bloc leader to become prime minister or to even hold the balance of power in a minority government situation. It makes the Bloc platform hypothetical at best.
The funniest suggestion from the Bloc is that Quebec should replace the federal Indian Act with nation-to-nation treaties with the aboriginal first nations in Quebec. With more than 30 Inuit and Indian first nations in the province, it would take a large number of civil servants about 60 years to arrive at a basic formula for one of these treaties. It is hard to imagine all those aboriginal nations being eager to negotiate with the province. Especially those aboriginal nations that would want to negotiate in English.
Probably the most annoying part of Blanchet’s presentation was his opening remark when he defined a Quebecoise as only speaking French. He still does not understand that you do not promote one language by putting down others.
One proposal that was a natural for which Quebec can waste money was the suggestion that Quebec have its own version of the Canadian Radio-Television, Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). I sometimes wonder what value any part of Canada is getting from the CRTC today. It seems to pander to the television networks and virtually ignoring other parts of its mandate. It makes you wonder if his next suggestion is that Radio-Canada in Quebec cut off its ties with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
The problem this writer has with Quebec-centred politicians is their bigotry and wasting time on more power to them and less power to the people of Quebec. M. Blanchet should wonder what he has done for Quebecers today and not so much what he can do for his self importance.
-30-
Copyright 2021 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to: