Brock Quebecoa leader Yves-François Blanchet says he hopes the campaign will focus primarily on US tariff issues and wants to ensure Quebec’s interests are represented.
At a press conference in Montreal on March 23, when the election was called, Blanchett said President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and issues regarding Gaza and Ukraine, and that Canada and Quebec should act as “allies” facing President Trump.
When asked about how the issue of Quebec’s sovereignty is presented in his campaign, the Quebec Separation Party leader states that there is no doubt about Quebec’s “independence” and he wants to ensure that the economy works for the province’s interests in the face of Trump’s tariffs. However, he hinted at the issue that sovereignty relies on the success of Parti Quebecoa, the state’s segregation party, in elections.
He also added that some would like to use Trump’s “51st Condition” comment as a fear factor to “use people’s anxiety.”
He said the press conference was a “response” to the election, known as the day, and would host a campaign launch event in Quebec on March 24th.
Below is the text from Blanchet’s March 23rd speech.
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A statement was published in Montreal’s French on March 23rd by Yves-François Blanchet, the leader of Block Quebecoa.
I’m so happy that this election campaign has begun. Now, this is not a warning to my enemies, but they shouldn’t have done this in the spring and are now ready to take on this campaign.
I’m glad to see this start. This is happening under serious circumstances. This is because the US president is bringing up policies that increase the threat and spread fear for Canada, Mexico and all of its trading partners. And he seems to love it. He seems to love to see what people are afraid of.
And, in addition to the trade issues, of course, we cannot forget the licenses he bombed Israel again on Gaza, and the ones he appears to be giving to the Russian dictators attacking in Ukraine.
And the people here in Quebec are afraid to lose their jobs, they are afraid to lose their business. And the owner of the dairy farm today may be wondering whether a new trade agreement that I may not be able to call for at this time can call a free trade agreement via whether he can still run the dairy farm.
Therefore, in this environment, trade threats are full of. Obviously, it’s at the heart of this campaign. The question is who talks about what? Obviously, we’re talking about the automotive industry, oil from the west. And in the middle of this campaign, we don’t know if it’s been where it was, but we need to talk about Quebec businesses, Quebec workers, Quebec seniors. And those people must feel that in the context of potential negotiations, we provide them with a well-documented, well-buert sense.
In that context, I feel like I want to dispose of that issue, the issue of Canada’s sovereignty. Just as Quebec’s freedom and economy is invaluable to Quebeca’s, Canada’s freedom and economy is invaluable to all Canadians. And we can’t avoid saying that we’re talking about two different countries here. I think we need to act like an ally.
It reminds us that Quebec and Canada can be Quebec’s ally. It reminds us that Europe is now urging us to act as an ally with other countries dealing with Donald Trump. And I call him President. But allies are equal. Allies should make sure that members of the Alliance are listening and listening. If we entrust our destiny, we don’t ask Quebec what is in good hands, what is needed, what is needed.
I will not try to minimize the importance of negotiations here, but if I limit my fate to questions asked by others, in other words, why not make sure that decisions regarding the Quebekars are made by other Keves? And with that in mind, as I have stated here and there, “Oh, don’t worry about that,” I want to remind people of the importance of prosperity and the work of Quebec, the importance of timber, and the importance of supply management.
Can’t we focus on the importance of Quebec’s art and culture? They define who we are and have an incredible economic weight including aluminum, all other sectors. Of course, it is rare in the United States, so it actually exists only in Quebec. Coastal Fisheries, … Magdalene Islands, important minerals, phosphate reserves, the most important repository is in Quebec. And transportation, electrification, we’re not talking about it.
We are talking about bringing western oil across the country, thinking it would be good for Quebec, but so far there has been no evidence of that. And I don’t think Quebec should be involved in that very expensive project. I think people need to admit that it is very environmentally costly.
Clean Energy, an alternative to the pipeline they want to place in Quebec, is as fully integrated as the automotive industry as it is so fully integrated into Quebec’s iconic supply chain. When you talk about the first one, you can talk about the other, and I think it’s important to remember that. And we remember that we want to be positive and supportive.
And I hope the Quebecas appreciate this. Perhaps in this third election for this block (having Blanche as leader), people can know what we’ve done so far, and the people who talk for the block are well known and are of good character.
But I would like to say this time I don’t think fear will work with the Quebekars. Quebecers are in a situation where fear is no longer scared. Quebecás and Quebec move forward by maintaining a country built on French, its specific values, and a model that welcomes immigration to Quebec.
And now we are seeing the spectator of the century initiative come forward, and that’s not why we’re happy. And I think the same thing has to do with the fact that Quebec is so different. And with the condition that we can express our own voices in Canada and Mexico, and with new agreements like Europe, we need to be able to express ourselves, thrive and be partners.
So, in the end, I am very keen to see the beginning of this campaign. It’s happening in the spring. At the end of the campaign and the entire campaign, nonetheless and nevertheless, I would like to choose Quebec.
thank you.
