Bloc Québécois - Wikipedia Bloc Québécois Bloc Québécois Leader Mario Beaulieu ( interim ) President Mario Beaulieu Founded 15 June 1991 ( 1991 - 06 - 15 ) Split from Progressive Conservatives, Liberals Headquarters 3750, boulevard Crémazie Est Suite 502 Montreal, Quebec H2A 1B6 Youth wing Forum jeunesse du Bloc Québécois Membership 19,000 Ideology Quebec nationalism Quebec sovereigntism Regionalism Souverainism Environmentalism Social democracy Political position Centre - left Colours Light blue Seats in the Senate 0 / 105 Seats in the House of Commons 5 / 338 Website www.blocquebecois.org Politics of Canada Political parties Elections The Bloc Québécois ( BQ ) ( French pronunciation : ​ ( blɔk kebekwa ) ) is a federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was formed by Members of Parliament who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative Party and Liberal Party during the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord. Founder Lucien Bouchard was a cabinet minister in the federal Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. The party seeks to create the conditions necessary for the political secession of Quebec from Canada and campaigns actively only within the province during federal elections. The party has been described as social democratic and separatist. The Bloc was the largest party in Quebec, and either the second or third largest party in the House of Commons, for seven straight federal elections, from the 1993 election until 2011. The 2011 election saw the party win just four seats and lose official party status after a wave of support for the New Democratic Party. By 2014 the party had been reduced to two seats because of resignations and expulsions. In the 2015 federal election, the Bloc won 10 seats in the House of Commons, even though the party 's leader Gilles Duceppe failed to win a seat. The Bloc has strong informal ties to the Parti Québécois ( PQ, whose members are known as Péquistes ), a provincial party that advocates for the secession of Quebec from Canada and its independence, but the two are not linked organizationally. As with its provincial counterpart, the Bloc Québécois has been supported by a wide range of voters in Quebec, from sections of organized labour to more conservative rural voters. Members and supporters are known in French as Bloquistes ( pronounced ( blɔkist ) ). Contents 1 Positions and ideologies 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 First election 2.3 1995 Quebec referendum 2.4 New leaders 2.5 Declining fortunes 2.6 Comeback 2.7 Slight gains 2.8 Coalition attempt 2.9 Loss of official party status 2.10 Leadership election, 2011 2.11 Leadership election, 2014 2.12 Defections 2.13 Return and departure of Duceppe 2.14 Election of Ouellet and caucus revolt 3 Relationship to Parti Québécois 4 Party leaders 5 Election results 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Positions and ideologies An incomplete list of Bloc Québécois political positions. Among other things the Bloc Québécois has advocated are : Quebec sovereignty, up to independence, specifically repeal of the Clarity Act and opposition to the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project. Environmentalism, specifically supporting the Kyoto Accord. Abortion rights. LGBT rights, including the legalization of same - sex marriage. Decriminalization of cannabis. Legalization of assisted suicide. Abolition of the Canadian Senate. Withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan. Opposition to Canadian participation in the Iraq War in 2003. Abolition of the monarchy. History Origins The Bloc Québécois was formed in 1991 as an informal coalition of Progressive Conservative and Liberal Members of Parliament from Quebec, who left their original parties around the time of the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord. The party was intended to be temporary and was given the goal of the promotion of sovereignty at the federal level. The party aimed to disband following a successful referendum on secession from Canada. As with most parties, it has gained and lost prominent supporters over the years. The initial coalition that led to the Bloc was headed by Lucien Bouchard, who had been federal Minister of the Environment in the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. Bouchard abandoned the government in May 1990 in response to the report of a commission headed by Jean Charest that suggested changes to the Meech Lake Accord. Bouchard felt the recommendations for change undermined the objectives and spirit of the accord. According to The Secret Mulroney Tapes he was fired by Prime Minister Mulroney. Bouchard was joined by five of his fellow Tories, Nic Leblanc, Louis Plamondon, Benoît Tremblay, Gilbert Chartrand, and François Gérin, along with two Liberals, Gilles Rocheleau and Jean Lapierre. The first Bloquiste candidate to be elected was Gilles Duceppe, then a union organizer, in a by - election for the Montreal riding of Laurier -- Sainte - Marie on 13 August 1990. He ran as an independent, since the Bloc had not been registered as a federal party. Jean Lapierre renounced separatism and rejoined the Liberals during the leadership of Paul Martin. First election Logo of the Bloc Québécois in the 1990s to 2000s In the 1993 federal election, the Bloc won 54 seats ( out of 75 ) in Quebec, sweeping nearly all of the francophone ridings. Because the opposition vote in the rest of Canada was split between the Reform Party, the Progressive Conservative Party, and the New Democratic Party, the Bloc narrowly won the second largest number of seats in the House of Commons, and therefore became the official opposition. While Reform finished second in the national popular vote, the Bloc 's heavy concentration of support in Quebec was slightly larger than Reform 's concentration in the West. Soon after the new Parliament was sworn in, Bouchard announced that Bloquiste MPs would only speak French on the floor of the House of Commons, a policy that remains in force to this day. This was out of necessity ; although Bouchard and most of the Bloc 's founding members were fluently bilingual in French and English, Bouchard had discovered that most of his large caucus could not speak English well enough to use it in debate. The election of such a relatively large number of Bloquistes was the first of The Three Periods, a plan intended to lay out the way to sovereignty created by PQ leader Jacques Parizeau. Parizeau became Premier of Quebec in the Quebec election of 1994 ( the second of the Three Periods ). Because the Bloc was the official opposition, it had considerable privileges over the other parties although all of its MPs had been elected in one province. For instance, Question Periods during the 35th Parliament were dominated by issues of national unity. However, the governing Liberals regarded Reform as their main opposition on non-Quebec matters. Also, in 1995, when Bouchard garnered an invitation to meet visiting US President Bill Clinton by virtue of being Opposition Leader, Reform leader Preston Manning was also given a meeting with Clinton in order to defuse Bouchard 's separatist leverage. 1995 Quebec referendum In 1995, the PQ government called the second referendum on independence in Quebec history. The Bloc entered the campaign for the Oui ( Yes ) side ( in favour of sovereignty ). The Oui side 's campaign had a difficult beginning, so the leadership of the campaign was shifted from PQ leader Jacques Parizeau to Bloc leader Lucien Bouchard. Bouchard was seen as more charismatic and more moderate, and therefore more likely to attract voters. A `` tripartite agreement '' mapping out the plan for accession to independence was written and signed by the leaders of the Parti Québécois, the Bloc Québécois and the Action démocratique du Québec on 12 June 1995. It revived René Lévesque 's notion that the referendum should be followed by the negotiating of an association agreement between an independent Quebec and the rest of Canada. This provision was inspired by Bouchard. Parizeau had previously wanted a vote simply on independence. The difference became moot when 50.6 % of voters taking part in the referendum rejected the sovereignty plan. An overwhelming `` Non '' vote in Montreal tipped the balance. The day after the referendum, Parizeau stepped down as PQ leader and Premier of Quebec. Bouchard left federal politics and succeeded Parizeau in both posts on 26 January 1996. New leaders Following Bouchard 's departure from Ottawa, Michel Gauthier became leader of the Bloc. In the wake of the referendum defeat, Gauthier proved unable to hold the fractious caucus together and resigned as leader just one year later. Gilles Duceppe, who had served as interim leader between Bouchard and Gauthier, became leader of the Bloc in 1997 and remained leader up until 2011, resigning after the 2011 federal election. Gilles Duceppe announced on 11 May 2007 that he would run for the leadership of the Parti Québécois to replace André Boisclair, who resigned on 8 May 2007, after the poor performance in the March 2007 Quebec provincial election and internal dissent forced him to step down. Duceppe announced the next day that he was withdrawing from the race, and that he would support Pauline Marois who had also announced her intention to run. Declining fortunes In the 1997 federal election, the Bloc Québécois dropped to 44 seats, losing official opposition status to the Reform Party. The 1997 -- 2000 term was marked by the Bloc 's fight against the passage of the Clarity Act, the attempt by Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien ( himself a Quebecer who represented a strongly nationalist riding ) and Stéphane Dion, a Quebec minister in Chrétien 's cabinet, to codify the Supreme Court of Canada 's 1998 decision that Quebec could not secede unilaterally. In the 2000 election, the Bloc dropped further to 38 seats, despite polling a larger percentage of the vote than at the previous election. One factor was the forced merger of several major Quebec cities, such as Montreal, Quebec City and Hull / Gatineau. The merger was very unpopular in those areas, resulting in Liberal wins in several of the merged areas. This was still more than the number of seats the Liberals had won in Quebec. However, the Liberals won several subsequent by - elections during the life of the resulting Parliament, until the Liberals had held the majority of Quebec 's seats in the Commons for the first time since the 1984 federal election. From then to the subsequent election, the Bloc continued to denounce the federal government 's interventions in what the Bloc saw as exclusively provincial jurisdictions. The Bloc credits its actions for the uncovering of what has since become the sponsorship scandal. Comeback The Bloc continued to slide in most of the 2003 opinion polls following the 2003 Quebec election which was won by the federalist Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest. However, things changed during the winter of 2003. The federalist Charest government lost popularity. Then, in February 2004, the Auditor General of Canada uncovered the sponsorship scandal, suggesting illegality in the spending of federal monies in Quebec in support of Canadian unity. As well, the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien passed party financing legislation that resulted in the Bloc receiving millions of dollars in subsidies that helped to stabilize its organization. For the 2004 election the Bloc adopted the slogan Un parti propre au Québec, a play on words that can be translated either as `` A party of Quebec 's own '' ( `` a party proper to Quebec '' ) or as `` A clean party in Quebec ''. The Bloc won 54 seats in the House of Commons, tying its previous record from the 1993 campaign. For the 2006 election, the Bloc used the slogan Heureusement, ici, c'est le Bloc ! ( `` Fortunately, the Bloc is here ! '' ). The Bloc were expected to easily win more than 60 seats at the start of the campaign, and they did in fact take six seats from the Liberals. However, the unexpected surge of the new Conservative Party of Canada in parts of Quebec, particularly in and around Quebec City, led to the Bloc losing eight seats to the Tories. Coupled with an additional loss to André Arthur, an independent candidate, the Bloc recorded a net loss of three seats. The Conservative Party won a plurality ( but not a majority ) of seats in the House of Commons, thus forming a minority government. There was persistent speculation as to the possibility of the Bloc forming alliances with other opposition parties to wrest the government away from the Conservatives. Duceppe, whose leadership was confirmed after the election, maintained that the Bloc would continue to co-operate with other opposition parties or with the government when this advantaged Quebec, but would not participate in a federal government. On 2 May 2006, a poll revealed that for the first time, the Conservatives were ahead of the Bloc among Quebec voters ( 34 % against 31 % ). Duceppe announced the Bloc would support Prime Minister Stephen Harper 's budget that same day. By October polls showed that the Bloc was up to mid forties whereas the Conservatives fell into the teens behind Liberals in their poll numbers in Quebec. Slight gains The Bloc made slight gains following the 2008 federal elections as they won 49 seats, one more than the number they had before the previous parliament was dissolved. In that election, they used the slogan `` Présent pour le Québec '' ( `` Present for Quebec '' ). Although they made small gains in relation to the number of seats at dissolution, they fell by 2 seats to 49 in comparison to the 51 they received in 2006. Also, the proportion of popular votes in the province was down 4 points to 38.1 %, the Bloc 's lowest score since 1997. In a speech in front of his supporters following the election, BQ leader Gilles Duceppe claimed to have achieved his objectives, adding : `` without the Bloc Québécois tonight, Mr. Harper would have formed a majority government ''. At the end of November 2008, the Bloc indicated that it would support a possible motion of no confidence against the governing Conservatives by the two other opposition parties, and would support the resulting Liberal - NDP coalition government at least until June 2010, without actually being part of the government. Coalition attempt On 26 March 2011, Bloc Québécois leader Duceppe stated that Conservative leader Stephen Harper had in 2004 tried to form a coalition government with the Bloc and NDP in response to Harper 's allegations that the Liberals intended to form a coalition with the Bloc and the NDP. Two months after the 2004 federal election, Stephen Harper privately met with BQ leader Gilles Duceppe and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton in a Montreal hotel. On 9 September 2004, the three signed a letter addressed to then - Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, stating, We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise, this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority. On the same day the letter was written, the three party leaders held a joint press conference at which they expressed their intent to co-operate on changing parliamentary rules, and to request that the Governor General consult with them before deciding to call an election. At the news conference, Harper said : `` It is the Parliament that 's supposed to run the country, not just the largest party and the single leader of that party. That 's a criticism I 've had and that we 've had and that most Canadians have had for a long, long time now so this is an opportunity to start to change that. '' However, at the time, Harper and the two other opposition leaders denied trying to form a coalition government, despite the letter written to the Governor General. Harper said, `` This is not a coalition, but this is a co-operative effort. '' One month later, on 4 October 2004, journalist Mike Duffy, ( later appointed as a Conservative senator by Harper in December 2008 ), said `` It is possible that you could change prime minister without having an election '', and that some Conservatives wanted Harper as prime minister. The next day Layton walked out on talks with Harper and Duceppe, accusing them of trying to replace Paul Martin with Harper as prime minister. Both Bloc and Conservative officials denied Layton 's accusations. Loss of official party status In the 2011 federal election, in the wake of a surge of support for the New Democratic Party, the Bloc received less than a quarter of the popular vote in Quebec ( and less than 6 % of the national vote ). It lost 44 of the 47 seats it held at parliament 's dissolution, and only added one seat, which had been vacated by a Bloc Québécois member six months prior to the election. The seats lost included that of Duceppe, who resigned as party president and leader. It also lost all but one of its seats in Montreal. With few exceptions, the Bloc 's seats were won by the NDP, though the Bloc did not suffer as severe a beating as the one it handed the PCs 18 years earlier. By winning only four seats the Bloc failed to reach the minimum of 12 seats required for official party status in the House of Commons. MPs without official party status are treated as independents and must sit in the back row of the opposition benches. They are permitted just a few questions each week in question period and can not sit as voting members on parliamentary committees. Elected to Parliament in this election were incumbents Louis Plamondon, André Bellavance, Maria Mourani and rookie MP Jean - François Fortin. When the 41st Canadian Parliament convened on 2 June 2011, Plamondon became the Bloc 's interim parliamentary leader. Vivian Barbot served as interim leader and party president following Duceppe 's resignation until the party 's 2011 leadership election. Leadership election, 2011 The Bloc Québécois leadership election campaign to choose a permanent successor to Duceppe began on 17 September 2011 and concluded on 11 December with the election of former MP for Hochelaga Daniel Paillé as party leader. Plamondon, the longest - serving member of the Commons, served as parliamentary leader during Paillé 's tenure as he did not have a seat. On 28 February 2013, Claude Patry defected from the New Democratic Party and joined the Bloc, citing his disagreement with the New Democratic Party on the subject of Quebec sovereignty, bringing the party 's total seats in Parliament up to five. The caucus fell back to 4 MPs on 12 September 2013 when Mourani, the party 's only remaining member from Montreal, was expelled for her comments criticizing the Parti Québécois government 's proposed Charter of Quebec Values. Leadership election, 2014 Paillé stepped down as leader on 16 December 2013 because of health reasons. A leadership election was held the following June. Hardliner Mario Beaulieu, a former president of the Société Saint - Jean - Baptiste who had never been either a Member of Parliament or a member of Quebec 's National Assembly, was elected party leader after running on a platform of prioritizing Quebec independence above all else. He defeated BQ Member of Parliament André Bellavance, who had campaigned on a platform of broadening the Bloc beyond being a coalition of sovereigntists and had been endorsed by the rest of the party 's caucus. Defections On 12 August 2014, the caucus was reduced to three MPs when the Bloc 's interim parliamentary leader, Jean - François Fortin, quit the party to sit as an independent saying that the Bloc Québécois he had joined no longer exists and that Beaulieu had destroyed its credibility. On 25 August 2014, former interim parliamentary leader and failed leadership contender André Bellavance also resigned, reducing the Bloc to two MPs -- one of whom, Claude Patry, has announced that he will not be running for re-election. On December 31, 2014, the party 's vice president, Annie Lessard, resigned after a personality conflict with leader Mario Beaulieu. Return and departure of Duceppe With two seats left in parliament, and with the party languishing in the polls a few months before an expected election campaign, it was announced June 10, 2015 that Gilles Duceppe would be returning to lead the party into the campaign ; Beaulieu would relinquish the leadership but remain party president. The party executive agreed on June 9, 2015, to split the positions of president and party leader in order to facilitate Duceppe 's return. The changes were approved by the party 's general council on July 1. Results of the 2015 Canadian federal election showing support for Bloc Québécois candidates by riding During the 2015 federal election the Bloc Québécois had hoped to pick up seats from the collapsing NDP vote, however, most Quebecers instead switched their allegiance to the Liberals and Conservatives rather than back to the Bloc. While the Bloc managed to win 10 seats, more than twice that of the previous election, it was not enough to gain official party status. The party 's share of the popular vote in Quebec fell to 19 %, its lowest point up until that time. As in 2011, Duceppe failed to win his own seat, and resigned again as party leader. Election of Ouellet and caucus revolt The party was led on an interim basis by Rhéal Fortin until the Bloc Québécois leadership election in March 2017 acclaimed Martine Ouellet as party leader. Ouellet is not a Member of Parliament and intends to see out her term as a member of the National Assembly of Quebec until the next provincial election in October 2018. On February 28, 2018, seven of the Bloc 's ten Members of Parliament quit the party 's caucus to form the Groupe parlementaire québécois citing conflicts with Ouellet 's leadership style and her insistence that the Bloc should emphasise promoting Quebec independence over `` defending Quebec 's interests ''. Three MPs remained in the Bloc 's caucus : Mario Beaulieu ( La Pointe - de-l'Île ), Xavier Barsalou - Duval ( Pierre - Boucher -- Les Patriotes -- Verchères ), and Marilène Gill ( Manicouagan ). More than 20 ex-Bloc MPs, including Gilles Duceppe, issued an open letter supporting the 7 current MPs who had resigned from caucus and demanding Ouellet 's resignation. Nevertheless, after a lengthy meeting, the party 's executive issued a statement supporting Ouellet 's leadership but also stating that the seven rebels could keep their Bloc Québécois memberships and would not be expelled from the party for quitting the caucus, inviting them to return to the caucus in the future. A Léger Marketing poll conducted shortly after put the Bloc Quebecois at 12 per cent among Quebec voters, its lowest rating ever. Following an election this would likely translate into zero seats, putting the survival of the party into question for the 2019 federal election. A leadership review referendum was held on Ouellet 's leadership on June 1 and 2, 2018 resulting in the party membership rejecting her leadership by 67 %, while a proposal that the party prioritize Quebec independence on a daily basis above all other issues also passed with 65 % support. Ouellet subsequently announced her resignation as party leader effective June 11, 2018. Following the announcement of Ouellet 's resignation, MPs Michel Boudrias and Simon Marcil announced they would rejoin the party. Party president and MP Beaulieu was named interim leader after Ouellet resigned. Relationship to Parti Québécois The Parti Québécois has close ties to the Bloc and shares its principal objective of independence for Quebec. The two parties have backed each other during election campaigns, and prominent members of each party often attend and speak at the other 's public events. In addition, the majority of each party 's membership holds membership in both parties. However, on an organizational level the parties are separate entities -- the Bloc is not the federal wing of the Parti Québécois, nor the PQ the provincial wing of the Bloc. Lucien Bouchard has been the leader of both parties. Michel Gauthier, once Bloc 's leader, was a PQ member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1981 until 1988. Former party leader Daniel Paillé was also a PQ member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 1996, and a BQ member of Parliament from 2009 to 2011. In June 2014, Mario Beaulieu, a former PQ riding president and Bloc candidate, was elected leader of the Bloc Québécois. Notwithstanding his previous ties to both parties, Beaulieu has been critical of what he sees as a too timid approach to sovereignty by both the Bloc and PQ. Beaulieu 's election as Bloc leader was more warmly received by the PQ 's rival party, Option nationale, than by the PQ. Martine Ouellet was a PQ MNA from 2010 until 2017 and ran twice for the PQ leadership. She continued to sit in the Quebec National Assembly, as an Independent MNA, after she was elected Bloc leader. In the 2015 election, Parti Québécois leader Pierre - Karl Péladeau officially endorsed the Bloc, despite earlier calling the party useless. Several incumbent PQ MNAs including Bernard Drainville, Stéphane Bergeron, Maka Kotto, Dave Turcotte and Agnès Maltais also endorsed the Bloc and campaigned for local candidates. Party leaders See also : Bloc Québécois leadership elections Picture Name Term start Term end Riding while leader Notes Lucien Bouchard 25 July 1990 16 January 1996 Lac - Saint - Jean First leader Gilles Duceppe ( interim ) 16 January 1996 17 February 1996 Laurier -- Sainte - Marie Interim leader Michel Gauthier 17 February 1996 15 March 1997 Roberval -- Lac - Saint - Jean Gilles Duceppe 15 March 1997 2 May 2011 Laurier -- Sainte - Marie Vivian Barbot ( interim ) 2 May 2011 11 December 2011 None - lost 2011 election in the riding of Papineau Served as interim leader and president of the party. Louis Plamondon was acting leader in the House of Commons. Daniel Paillé 11 December 2011 16 December 2013 None - lost 2011 election in the riding of Hochelaga Stepped down as leader on 16 December 2013 because of health reasons. vacant 16 December 2013 25 June 2014 N / A André Bellavance was acting leader in the House of Commons until 26 February 2014, when he declared his candidacy for leader. Jean - François Fortin replaced Bellavance as leader in the House of Commons. Party vice president Annie Lessard was the acting president of the party. Mario Beaulieu 25 June 2014 10 June 2015 None Elected leader on 14 June 2014, and assumed the role on 25 June 2014. Fortin, who resigned as the Bloc 's interim parliamentary leader and quit the party to sit as an independent on 12 August 2014, was replaced by Plamondon as the Bloc 's interim parliamentary leader on 26 August 2014. Beaulieu relinquishes the party leadership on 10 June 2015 but remains party president. Gilles Duceppe 10 June 2015 22 October 2015 None - lost 2015 election in the riding of Laurier -- Sainte - Marie Returns as leader but not as party president. Appointed leader by party executive on 10 June ; appointment ratified by the party 's general council on 1 July. Rhéal Fortin ( interim ) 22 October 2015 18 March 2017 Rivière - du - Nord Martine Ouellet 18 March 2017 11 June 2018 Vachon ( National Assembly of Quebec ) Ouellet continued to sit as an Independent MNA in the National Assembly of Quebec after being elected BQ leader and intended to serve out her term as an MNA until the October 2018 provincial election. She resigned as leader after being defeated in a leadership review in June 2018. Mario Beaulieu ( interim ) 13 June 2018 present La Pointe - de-l'Île Named interim leader following the resignation of Martine Ouellet Election results Election Leader Votes % ( Quebec ) % ( Canada ) Seats ( Quebec ) Seats ( Canada ) + / -- Position Government Lucien Bouchard 1,846,024 49.3 13.5 54 / 75 54 / 295 44 2nd Opposition Gilles Duceppe 1,385,821 37.9 10.7 44 / 75 44 / 301 10 3rd Third party 2000 Gilles Duceppe 1,377,727 39.9 10.7 38 / 75 38 / 301 6 3rd Third party Gilles Duceppe 1,680,109 48.9 12.4 54 / 75 54 / 308 16 3rd Third party 2006 Gilles Duceppe 1,553,201 42.1 10.5 51 / 75 51 / 308 3rd Third party 2008 Gilles Duceppe 1,379,628 38.1 10.0 49 / 75 49 / 308 3rd Third party 2011 Gilles Duceppe 889,788 23.4 6.0 4 / 75 4 / 308 45 4th No status 2015 Gilles Duceppe 818,652 19.3 4.7 10 / 78 10 / 338 6 4th No status See also Canadian politics portal Quebec portal Bloc Québécois Shadow Cabinet List of political parties in Canada Mouvement de libération nationale du Québec Politics of Canada Politics of Quebec Secessionist movements of Canada Timeline of Quebec history References ^ Jump up to : `` Federal leaders including Trudeau and Scheer converge on Quebec before byelection ''. National Post. 2018 - 06 - 14. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Duceppe wades into asbestos mining debate ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 April 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ Dickerson, M.O. ; Thomas Flanagan ; Brenda O'Neill ( 2009 ). An Introduction to Government and Politics : A Conceptual Approach ( 8 ed. ). Cengage Learning. ISBN 0 - 17 - 650042 - 1. Jump up ^ Linda Trimble ; Jane Arscott ; Manon Tremblay ( 31 May 2013 ). Stalled : The Representation of Women in Canadian Governments. UBC Press. p. 258. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7748 - 2522 - 1. Jump up ^ The BQ is described as social - democratic : Steven Staples ( 3 October 2006 ). Missile Defence : Round One. James Lorimer & Company. p. 160. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55028 - 929 - 9. Geoffrey Evans ; Nan Dirk de Graaf ( 28 March 2013 ). Political Choice Matters : Explaining the Strength of Class and Religious Cleavages in Cross-National Perspective. Oxford University Press. p. 167. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 966399 - 6. Anne Westhues ( 20 September 2006 ). Canadian Social Policy : Issues and Perspectives. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. p. 437. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88920 - 504 - 8. John Loughlin ; John Kincaid ; Wilfried Swenden ( 18 July 2013 ). Routledge Handbook of Regionalism and Federalism. Routledge. p. 179. ISBN 1 - 136 - 72762 - 0. M.O. Dickerson ; Thomas Flanagan ; M.O. Dickerson ; Brenda O'Neill ; Thomas Flanagan ; Brenda O'Neill ( 11 March 2009 ). An Introduction to Government and Politics : A Conceptual Approach. Cengage Learning. p. 120. ISBN 0 - 17 - 650042 - 1. Paul Orlowski ( 21 June 2011 ). Teaching About Hegemony : Race, Class and Democracy in the 21st Century. Springer. p. 123. ISBN 978 - 94 - 007 - 1418 - 2. William Cross ( 1 January 2011 ). Political Parties. UBC Press. p. 84. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7748 - 4111 - 5. Kevin Farnsworth ; Zoë M. Irving ( 2011 ). Social Policy in Challenging Times : Economic Crisis and Welfare Systems. The Policy Press. p. 247. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84742 - 827 - 1. Jump up ^ Rand Dyck ( 8 March 2011 ). Canadian Politics : Concise. Cengage Learning. p. 211. ISBN 0 - 17 - 650343 - 9. Jump up ^ Geoffrey Evans ; Nan Dirk de Graaf ( 28 March 2013 ). Political Choice Matters : Explaining the Strength of Class and Religious Cleavages in Cross-National Perspective. Oxford University Press. p. 167. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 966399 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Boisclair gets emotional talking about homophobia ''. CTV News. 4 March 2007. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Results suggest rift between urban, rural voters ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 January 2006. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 23. Jump up ^ `` MPs reject Clarity Act repeal in 283 -- 5 vote ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Trudeau knocks Mulcair for 50 - plus - 1 stance on separation ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 January 2013. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ Heinrich, Jeff ( 20 April 2013 ). `` Bloc Québécois look to future for success ''. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Opposition MPs pass Kyoto bill despite Tory resistance ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 February 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` Prentice defends oilsands following National Geographic article ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 February 2009. Archived from the original on 23 November 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Motion on when life begins splits Conservative caucus ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Commons approves transgender rights bill ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Same - sex rights -- Canada timeline ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Jump up ^ Khoo, Lisa ( May 2001 ). `` Up in smoke ? Canada 's marijuana law and the debate over decriminalization ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Assisted suicide voted down by MPs ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` MPs vote against NDP motion to abolish Senate ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bloc to spur Afghanistan vote ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` Government will fall if Afghan mission does n't end in 2009, Bloc warns ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` PM says Canada wo n't fight in Iraq ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 March 2003. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` Programme du Bloc Québécois ( Page 10 ) '' ( PDF ). 2015 - 08 - 03. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 25. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) ^ Jump up to : `` The Bloc Québécois through the years ''. Globe and Mail. 3 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` DUCEPPE, Gilles ''. Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Québécois forms the Opposition in 1993 election ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Digital Archives. 26 October 1993. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2013. Jump up ^ WARREN CARAGATA in Ottawa with CARL MOLLINS in Washington. `` Clinton Visits Chrétien ''. Thecanadianencyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2009. Jump up ^ `` The 1995 Quebec referendum : Turning the ' Yes ' tide ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 October 1995. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` 1995 Quebec referendum : A `` Yes '' alliance ``. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 June 1995. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Duceppe resigns as Bloc leader after losing riding ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Jump up ^ Chung, Andrew ( 3 May 2011 ). `` Duceppe resigns as Bloc Québécois drowns in an orange tsunami ''. The Star. Toronto. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Jump up ^ `` Duceppe drops out of PQ race ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 May 2007. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ Dion, Stéphane ( 7 February 2013 ). `` Stéphane Dion : Quebeckers want more clarity than 50 % plus one ''. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Federal sponsorship scandal ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 October 2006. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Political contributions : money, money, money ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 June 2006. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` BQ_DepEthno -- anglais '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 19 February 2006. Jump up ^ `` Conservatives make breakthrough in Quebec ; Bloc wins 51 seats ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 January 2006. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Harper ' very pleased ' with stronger minority ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 October 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` Liberals, NDP, Bloc sign deal on proposed coalition ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Jump up ^ Payton, Laura ( 26 March 2011 ). `` Harper wanted 2004 coalition : Duceppe ''. CBC News. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Harper, Layton, Duceppe sought ' co-opposition ' in 2004 letter to GG ''. Montreal Gazette. 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. ^ Jump up to : Chung, Andrew ( 26 March 2011 ). `` Bloc leader accuses Harper of lying about coalition ''. Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2011. Jump up ^ `` Duceppe quits after BQ crushed in Quebec ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 May 2011. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bloc to seek party status, new leader : MP ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Louis Plamondon nommé chef parlementaire par intérim du Bloc Québécois ''. Bloc Quebecois. 2 June 2011. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` LEADERSHIP ROLES ''. Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` La course à la présidence du Bloc Québécois aura lieu du 18 septembre au 11 décembre 2011 ''. Bloc Quebecois. 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Daniel Paille elected Bloc Quebecois leader ''. Montreal Gazette. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Daniel Paille new leader of Bloc Quebecois '' Archived 15 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine... CBC News, 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Mulcair calls on Patry to resign seat after defection to Bloc ''. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bloc kicks out MP who spoke against Quebec religious - symbols ban ''. Globe and Mail. 12 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Daniel Paillé, leader of Bloc Québécois, to resign ''. CBC News. 16 December 2013. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Quebecois to pick new leader in May to replace Daniel Paille ''. The Gazette. 12 January 2014. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Québécois leadership candidate Mario Beaulieu wants to put sovereignty back on the front burner ''. Montreal Gazette. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jean - Francois Fortin quits Bloc, says party no longer exists under new leader ''. CBC News. 12 August 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Another Bloc MP quits party, leaving only two in Parliament ''. Globe and Mail. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Quebecois VP Annie Lessard resigns ''. CTV Montreal News. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` illes Duceppe returns to lead Bloc Quebecois ''. CTV News. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Gilles Duceppe officially named leader of Bloc Québécois ''. CBC News. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Returning Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe targets NDP for fall election ''. Globe and Mail. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` Gilles Duceppe announces return to Bloc Québécois leadership ''. CBC News. June 10, 2015. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Canada ( 22 October 2015 ). `` Bloc leader Duceppe, former PQ interim leader both resign ''. The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Québécois ' new leader : Who is Martine Ouellet ? ''. The Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Québécois fractures as seven of 10 MPs quit over Ouellet 's leadership ''. Globe and Mail. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018. Jump up ^ Allard, Clement ( 28 February 2018 ). `` Seven of 10 Bloc Quebecois MPs quit over Martine Ouellet 's leadership ''. The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018. Jump up ^ `` More than 20 ex-Bloc Québécois MPs call on Martine Ouellet to quit ''. montrealgazette.com. 3 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Québécois national office rallies behind Martine Ouellet ''. montrealgazette.com. 3 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Martine Ouellet wo n't surrender Bloc leadership, despite outcry by former MPs ''. CTV News Montreal. The Canadian Press. 10 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Referendum on Martine Ouellet 's Bloc Québécois leadership set for June 1 -- 2 ''. CBC News. 2018 - 03 - 26. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 10. Jump up ^ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-martine-ouellet-loses-bloc-quebecois-leadership-confidence-vote/ Jump up ^ `` Embattled Bloc Québécois leader Martine Ouellet resigns ''. CBC News. 2018 - 06 - 04. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Two of seven MPs who quit the Bloc Quebecois returning to the party ''. CBC News. 2018 - 06 - 06. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 10. Jump up ^ Don, Macpherson. `` Mario Beaulieu 's victory shows the Bloc 's irrelevance ''. The Gazette. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Les députés bloquistes lancent un appel au calme ''. Huffington Post. 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014. Jump up ^ Gagnon, Lysiane ( 18 June 2014 ). `` Will the Bloc Self - Destruct ? ''. The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Peladeau offers tepid support for Bloc Quebecois at weekend rally for leader ''. Montreal. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015. Jump up ^ 14 Oct 2015 ( 14 October 2015 ). `` Bernard Drainville on Twitter : `` Av @ PJT2072 candidat du # Bloc ds Marc - Aur - Fortin & ERobillard de @ kinosdesign, concepteur d'affiches de films, Laval http://t.co/K58LXt2TX3 '' ``. Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017. External link in title = ( help ) Jump up ^ 14 Oct 2015 ( 14 October 2015 ). `` Stéphane Bergeron on Twitter : `` Rencontre de presse suivie d'une visite, plus tôt, au CFP des Patriotes, en cie de @ PKP_Qc, @ daveturcotte & @ caaths. http://t.co/EXYbc8DAF3 '' ``. Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017. External link in title = ( help ) Jump up ^ 2 Oct 2015 ( 2 October 2015 ). `` Maka Kotto on Twitter : `` Qui est le mieux placé pour représenter nos intérêts à Ottawa ? : Le BLOC ! @ GillesDuceppe Bravo ! Tu as surpassé nos attentes. '' ``. Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017. Jump up ^ 13 Oct 2015 ( 13 October 2015 ). `` Dave Turcotte on Twitter : `` Rassemblement avec Catherine Fournier du # BlocQc et pkp_qc # TournéePQ # polqc # fed2015 https://t.co/EgaquOAagz '' ``. Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017. External link in title = ( help ) Jump up ^ AgnĂ  ̈ s MaltaisVerified account. `` AgnĂ  ̈ s Maltais on Twitter : `` Hier, jâ € TM ai votĂŠ pour Charles Mordret du Bloc QuĂŠbĂŠcois. Jâ € TM ai apposĂŠ ma croix avec fiertĂŠ Ă cĂ  ́ tĂŠ de son nom. '' ``. Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` BELLAVANCE, André, B.A. '' Parliement of Canada. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bloc Québécois PARLINFO ''. Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` DUCEPPE, Gilles ''. House of Commons of Canada. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015. External links ( in French ) Bloc Québécois website 2011 election platform Text of the 1995 tripartite agreement ( in French ) SRC dossier on the constitutional saga Bloc Québécois - Canadian Political Parties and Political Interest Groups - Web Archive created by the University of Toronto Libraries Leaders of the Bloc Québécois Bouchard Duceppe ( Interim ) Gauthier Duceppe Barbot ( Interim ) Paillé Beaulieu Duceppe Fortin ( Interim ) Ouellet Beaulieu ( Interim ) Federal political parties and parliamentary groups in Canada House of Commons Liberal ( 183 ) Conservative ( 97 ) New Democratic ( 42 ) Bloc Québécois ( 5 ) Québec debout ( 5 ) Green ( 1 ) Co-operative Commonwealth ( 1 ) Independent ( 2 ) Vacant ( 2 ) Senate Independent Senators Group ( 46 ) Conservative ( 32 ) Senate Liberal Caucus ( 11 ) Non-affiliated ( 8 ) Vacant ( 8 ) Other registered parties Alliance of the North Animal Protection Christian Heritage Communist Libertarian Marijuana Marxist -- Leninist Progressive Canadian Rhinoceros Notable historical parties and groups Anti-Confederate Bloc populaire Canadian Alliance Conservative Co-operative Commonwealth Democratic Representative Caucus Ginger Group Labour Labor - Progressive New Democracy Progressive Conservative Progressive / United Farmers Ralliement créditiste Reform Social Credit Strength in Democracy Unionist Italics indicate a parliamentary group that does / did not contest elections Portal : Canadian politics List of political parties Politics of Canada Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Bloc_Québécois&oldid = 854758716 '' Categories : 1991 establishments in Quebec Political parties established in 1991 Bloc Québécois Secessionist organizations in Canada Social democratic parties in Canada Political parties of minorities Organizations based in Montreal Pro-independence parties Republicanism in Canada Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Webarchive template wayback links Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL CS1 errors : external links Use Canadian English from May 2013 All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English Pages using deprecated image syntax Articles containing French - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2011 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2011 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2011 Articles with French - language external links Use dmy dates from September 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano Latina Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Українська Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 14 more Edit links This page was last edited on 13 August 2018, at 15 : 44 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what does the bloc quebecois party stand for
Answer: Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty