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Guy Lachapelle - Week Two Grades

Political Parties

This second week was particularly interesting since the possibility of having a minority government was at the heart of the debate.

Bloc Quebecois

Will the BLOC join the PC or the Liberals if there is a minority government? Today, Bill Graham (LIB) argued that the values of the BLOC are much closer to those of the Liberals. Do the LIberals now want the independence of Québec?!!! Others observers argue that the BLOC is much closer to the PCs. Clearly every party in Canada are now in love with the BLOC... especially since it will win more seats than the NPD (about 50 expected against 25 for the NDP). Love is a strange feeling in Canada! Quebecers need a "clarity bill" to scrutinize the real intentions of the LPC and the PC!!

Conservative Party

The most interesting news this week was certainly the promise of S. Harper to spend over $5 billion over the next five years on defence, to scrap the gun registry program and not to make abortion an issue in this campaign. He is on the sure road to personal happiness but will get no votes from Québec! However, the arguing that Mario Dumont (leader of the ADQ) can become his lieutenant in Québec was perceived more as a way to get someone in his cabinet (if he becomes PM) from "la belle province". Unfortunately for him, Mario Dumont was quick to respond that he has no interest in federal politics. But the damage was already done for Mario Dumont. Quebec voters who were not sure if the ADQ was on the right now are more convinced that it is the case. In others words, Harper is not helping the cause by this type of statement. Finally, André Bachand, the only PC MP from Quebec has decided to support the Liberal candidate in Richmond (Townships). No help neither for the PC.

Liberal Party

The Liberals are trying to move more to the centre-left by offering more social programs (to fight on the NPD ground) to provinces, such as a universal daycare system. However, for Quebecers, this is a bit surprising since the federal government was opposed to financing such a program initially. Now they are arguing that the Québec government (especially under the PQ) is one of the most innovative in Canada! The credibility file: It is hard to believe Paul Martin’s claim that he was not aware of the sponsorship program. Now that M. Gagliano has decided to challenge the federal government in court... the debate will continue. The impression for more and more Quebecers is that the federal government really bought the 1995 Quebec referendum and that Mr. Parizeau was right about "money" but still wrong on the "ethnic" vote!

New Democratic Party

Since a large majority of Quebecers are social-democrats, they are sympathetic to the NDP. Jack Layton was in BC most of the week but his emphasis on environmental issues attracted some interest because Hydro-Québec (the Suroît project) want to invest in natural gas - even if Quebecers are opposed to such idea. This is an important issue to discuss that I think can certainly rally most Quebecers and Canadians. We have now to pay higher prices for oil because of George Bush' failure in Iraq!!

Past Political Party Grades

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