Bloc Quebecois or not.

[Jethro Bodine]

How do you all feel about the presence of the BQ as a federal party?
I personally disagree with any party being able to run in a Federal Election when the interests of that party are to best serve a particular region or province rather than serving the needs of the country as a whole.
Sure, all 3 of the other mainstream federal parties favor particular regions or ridings from time to time as a means to garner support but at the end of the day they atleast are truly federal parties. They run candidates in ridings across this country and have support from all regions.
I oppose the fact that Canadian taxpayers are having to pay the salaries and expenses for MP's whose sole agenda is to represent one particular region, not all Canadians and whose party supports the breakup of this nation.
I realize it would be political suicide in Quebec and cause a huge outcry but if I was the Liberals or the Conservatives, when I had a majority, I would bring in legislation saying that to qualify as a Federal Party you had to run candiadates in a certain % of the ridings in 7/10 provinces. Otherwise you run as an independant. Sure all the BQer's or other regional parties could run as independant candiadates then form a coalition in "The House" but atleast they wouldn't have full party status which entitles them to all kinds of perks we pay for.

Agree? Disagree? What do you think/feel?

 

[ReluctantPooner]

I totally agree. A provincial party that represents people that want to secede from Canada is ok (although I totally disagree with it). But a federal party should be a federal party.

 

[Ray]

A federal party should have candidates in more than one province.

 

[not2old]

Greens are a federal party. The Bloc is not.

The Greens should have been represented at the debate. I would go as far as saying that the debate is for a "Federal" election, so the Bloc should not be represented.

 

[bcneil]

Whats really the difference?
Who cares if they dont run outside of Quebec.

If they put some token in each riding would it make people happier?

Personally, I think its crazy and shows problems with our system.
But I have friends in Montreal and its even worse for them.
They dont get the option like us of a right wing, centre, or left wing party.
They get bloc or not bloc. His words.

 

[Smoothmover]

Parties should have to achieve a minimum of the popular vote, or minimum registered membership in every riding (say 2% -3%) of voters to be eligible to run in national elections

 

[luvsdaty]

We should have a referendum across Canada & see if we keep Quebec in Canada.

 

[the old maxx50]

your for getting the most basic democratic principal of our parliamentary system.. the candidate may be from a federally represented party .. but each elected representative first duty is to represent his riding not canada. wide party politic .. in any riding an Independent can be voted in and he represents no party line ..
in the case of the Quebecois they are voted in by the members of each riding and they can follow what ever doctrine have prescribed to .. if the voter does not like it they can recall just like with any party candidate that switch party after being voted in.. this is how our system works and it allows for minority government and coalition government

Remember we are a confederation not a republic and our government system has to continually attend to provincial needs in order maintain the terms of the confederation and to the ..Charter of Rights and Freedom ...

 

[gotsome2004]

Vive le Québec! Vive le Bloc! Vive le Québec! Vive le Bloc! Vive le Québec!

Le Bloc pour toujours! Québec va se séparer de la Tête Carrée et de devenir le meilleur nation dans le monde. Vive le Québec, Céline Dion et la poutine! nous vaincrons, et la défaite des conservateurs d'atteindre la majorité à nouveau. Vive le Québec!

 

[aznboi9]

your for getting the most basic democratic principal of our parliamentary system.. the candidate may be from a federally represented party .. but each elected representative first duty is to represent his riding not canada. wide party politic .. in any riding an Independent can be voted in and he represents no party line ..
in the case of the Quebecois they are voted in by the members of each riding and they can follow what ever doctrine have prescribed to .. if the voter does not like it they can recall just like with any party candidate that switch party after being voted in.. this is how our system works and it allows for minority government and coalition government

Remember we are a confederation not a republic and our government system has to continually attend to provincial needs in order maintain the terms of the confederation and to the ..Charter of Rights and Freedom ...

+1

Maybe it's the Libertarian in me but I think people should be allowed to vote for whomever they want. You may find their presence in parliament distasteful; but they were duly elected by the people of Quebec to represent them and, if Quebeckers want to be represented by a regional party, then that should be allowed that choice. If you don't like the fact that they're there, then you can blame a system that rewards them with 65% of Quebec's seats when they only got 40% of the vote in that province.

Edit to add: Also, the Reform Party started out as a Western-based protest party to address, what they felt, was a lack of representation of the West's interest in federal politics. They didn't run a full slate of candidates in Eastern Canada for quite awhile. So, my question to those of you who have a problem with the Bloc: how many of you have or had a problem with the election of Reform MP's as well?

 

[chilli]

your for getting the most basic democratic principal of our parliamentary system.. the candidate may be from a federally represented party .. but each elected representative first duty is to represent his riding not canada. wide party politic .. in any riding an Independent can be voted in and he represents no party line ..
in the case of the Quebecois they are voted in by the members of each riding and they can follow what ever doctrine have prescribed to .. if the voter does not like it they can recall just like with any party candidate that switch party after being voted in.. this is how our system works and it allows for minority government and coalition government

Remember we are a confederation not a republic and our government system has to continually attend to provincial needs in order maintain the terms of the confederation and to the ..Charter of Rights and Freedom ...

Do you live in the same country as the rest of us?

How you would "like things to be, or the way things "are supposed to be"

is not how it is.

Politicians vote along party lines - that's the way it is - you can say whatever you want, you can write whatever you want , you can wish it was different, you can point to law - but at the end of the day.

Politicians vote the way their told to by party brass.

And that is the way it is done in Canada.

The only time we live in a democracy is every 4 years when we get a chance to vote - the rest of the time we have to suck it up.

 

[carvesg]

Blame it on our british parliamentary system ! All mathematic play with the numbers will always give you strange results but a stable government. The Meech Lake accord looks much better now than it looked then . LOL We would have a stable government without the regional pickering that goes on. As for a referendum; the result would be the same as it was years ago . We have to acknowledge that signing the province of Quebec in the constitution of 1982 would have prevented our instability at the federal level that we are experiencing. Let's play with our two Constitutions (1867 and 1982) AGAIN to see where it will lead us !?! Mulroney's legacy still pay the price for his attempt at solving the mess of his predecessor . Ah WELL. But we still love that great stateman Mr. Trudeau.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

your for getting the most basic democratic principal of our parliamentary system.. the candidate may be from a federally represented party .. but each elected representative first duty is to represent his riding not canada.

While this might be the way it is supposed to work it it not the reality. Politicians vote along party lines. Plain and simple. That's why the party's all have "Whips".
Sure, occasionally they may allow the MP's to vote independently on some minor bill but for all of the impotant stuff, you better vote the way the party tells you or you know you won't get your nomination papers signed the next time around. Cretien proved that.

 

[the old maxx50]

I course you guys are right .. very few have the balls to vote their conscious .
If you belong to a party you tow the party line or you are out .. i know that i see it all the time ..

i just state that to show they do have the right to vote the way they want .. will they, is a chose few make .

As for living i a democracy .. i actually don't believe we do..... every thing is in place by law .. but until elected members vote what the what the people they represent want .. then it is not a democracy.. that requires more referendums and the majority of the population being interested enough to vote.

YEs I am an idealist but i don't expect them to ever come to pass.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Le Bloc pour toujours! Québec va se séparer de la Tête Carrée et de devenir le meilleur nation dans le monde. Vive le Québec, Céline Dion et la poutine! nous vaincrons, et la défaite des conservateurs d'atteindre la majorité à nouveau. Vive le Québec!

Gotsome2004
If I wasn't so jealous of the fact you get to live in Montreal, home of fabulous strip clubs and sexy Quebecois girls who think BBBJ with CIM is a normal part of GFE service, and if I didn't want to stay in your good books so you'll be my tour guide if and when I get out to Montreal, I'd call you a bastard.