A new political party in Quebec! Will it make a difference?
So... in a recent post, suitablyemoname mentioned the apparent ascendancy of former Péquiste François Légault's "Coalition Avenir Québec", which has somehow gained enough support to be a significant force in Quebec politics - possibly winning a minority or even majority government in the next Quebec election, if their numbers hold.
Although the new party is reportedly conservative, it is courting former Liberal MP Marlene Jennings. Its leader's claims to be neutral on the national unity question seem questionable at best - while he does seem to want to improve Quebec's economy, it seems that his aim is to promote independence once the province is back on its financial feet. For the most part it seems to be made up of former Péquistes - hardly an encouraging sign.
However, today saw a new development in Quebec politics - and yet another alternative for voters who are looking for something new. Former federal Conservative MP Luc Harvey today announced that he and a few colleagues (including Daniel Petit, a former Conservative MP, and former Action Démocratique du Québec leadership candidates Jean-François Plante and Jacques Chaoulli) are reviving the provincial Conservative Party of Quebec. When asked what the difference would be between his party and the CAQ, Harvey replied that his party was "unambiguously federalist".
Could this be true? Is it actually possible that Quebec will finally have an unconditionally federalist party to vote for at the provincial level (a description which does not fit the Liberal Party of Quebec, given that its positions on national unity questions are basically the same as those of the PQ)?
Will this have a significant effect on Quebec, and on national, politics? Will it siphon votes off from the CAQ? Will it really advance federalism at the provincial level, and perhaps undermine the separatist movement further?
Or is there no real future for them? Is it all a pipe dream?
Although the new party is reportedly conservative, it is courting former Liberal MP Marlene Jennings. Its leader's claims to be neutral on the national unity question seem questionable at best - while he does seem to want to improve Quebec's economy, it seems that his aim is to promote independence once the province is back on its financial feet. For the most part it seems to be made up of former Péquistes - hardly an encouraging sign.
However, today saw a new development in Quebec politics - and yet another alternative for voters who are looking for something new. Former federal Conservative MP Luc Harvey today announced that he and a few colleagues (including Daniel Petit, a former Conservative MP, and former Action Démocratique du Québec leadership candidates Jean-François Plante and Jacques Chaoulli) are reviving the provincial Conservative Party of Quebec. When asked what the difference would be between his party and the CAQ, Harvey replied that his party was "unambiguously federalist".
Could this be true? Is it actually possible that Quebec will finally have an unconditionally federalist party to vote for at the provincial level (a description which does not fit the Liberal Party of Quebec, given that its positions on national unity questions are basically the same as those of the PQ)?
Will this have a significant effect on Quebec, and on national, politics? Will it siphon votes off from the CAQ? Will it really advance federalism at the provincial level, and perhaps undermine the separatist movement further?
Or is there no real future for them? Is it all a pipe dream?