Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says he expects this election campaign to be mostly centred on the issue of U.S. tariffs, and that he wants to ensure Quebec’s interests are represented.
During a press conference in Montreal on March 23, the day the election was called, Blanchet took issue with U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy on Gaza and Ukraine, and said Canada and Quebec should act as “allies” facing the Trump presidency.
When asked about how the issue of Quebec sovereignty will be presented in his campaign, the leader of the Quebec separatist party said there is no question about the “independence” of Quebec, and he wants to ensure that the economy will work for the province’s benefit in the face of Trump’s tariffs. But he alluded to the issue of sovereignty being dependent on the success of the Parti Québécois, the provincial separatist party, in elections.
He also added that some want to use Trump’s “51st state” comments as a fear factor to “use people’s insecurity,” which he said is not something he will engage in, but rather will focus on protecting Quebec’s economy.
He said the press conference was just a “response” to the election being called that day, and that he will hold his campaign launch event in Quebec City on March 24.
The following is the text of Blanchet’s March 23 speech.
I am really happy that this election campaign is starting. Now, this is not a warning to my adversaries, but they shouldn’t have done this in the spring, and now we are absolutely ready to take on this campaign.
We’re happy to see this begin now. This is happening under a serious situation because the president of the United States, against Canada and Mexico and all its trading partners, is bringing in policies that multiply the threats and are spreading fear. And he seems to be loving that. He seems to love to see that people are afraid.
And in addition to the trade issues, of course, we cannot forget about the licence that he has given Israel to again bomb Gaza, and the licence that he seems to be giving to Russian dictators who are hitting at Ukraine.
And people here in Quebec are afraid to lose their jobs, they’re afraid to lose their business. And the owner of a dairy farm may be wondering today whether a new trade agreement—which I can’t possibly call a free trade agreement at this time—with that agreement, whether he'll still be able to operate a dairy farm.
So in this environment, full of trade threats, obviously, that will be at the centre of this campaign, and the issue is about who, what are we going to talk about? Obviously, we'll talk about the auto industry, oil from the West. And in the middle of this campaign, and I’m not sure that’s been the case thus far, we will need to talk about Quebec companies, Quebec workers, seniors in Quebec, and those people will have to sense that in the context of potential negotiations, we are offering them a sense of security that’s well-documented and well-built.
Now in that context, I feel like disposing of that issue, the issue of Canadian sovereignty. You know, the freedom and the economy of Canada are very precious to all Canadians, just as the freedom and the economy of Quebec are very precious to Quebecers. And we cannot avoid saying that we’re talking about two different nations here, and I think we need to behave like allies.
I remind you that Quebec and Canada can be the allies of Quebec, and there is a current in Europe right now which prompts us to act as allies to other countries that are dealing with Donald Trump—and I still call him a president, because, in spite of that, I don’t think we can call him the president of the United States and be too familiar in that regard. But allies are equals. Allies make sure that the members of the alliance are heard and listened to, and I’m not hearing today what is needed or what it will take for Quebec to be in good hands if we entrust our destiny.
I won’t try to minimize the importance of a negotiation here, but if we limit our destiny to questions taken by others, in other words, why not make sure that decisions about Quebecers will be made by other Quebecers? And having that in mind, I think it’s absolutely critical that subjects that have not been addressed thus far, as mentioned here and there, ”Oh, don’t worry about that kind of thing,” but I want to remind people of the importance for the prosperity and the jobs in Quebec, the importance of lumber, the importance of supply management.
How can we not focus on the importance of arts and culture in Quebec? They define who we are, and they have incredible economic weight, including all the other sectors, aluminum, of course, which exists practically only in Quebec, because the United States has very little. In the coastal fisheries, … the Magdalene islands, critical minerals, the phosphate reserves, the most significant repositories are in Quebec. And transportation, electrification, we’re not talking about that.
We’re talking about bringing Western oil across the country, thinking that will be good for Quebec, but there’s been no demonstration of that thus far. And I don’t think Quebec should get involved in that very costly project. I think people will have to admit that it will be very costly in terms of the environment.
Clean energy, the alternative to the pipeline they want to put across Quebec, the aerospace industry, which is emblematic in Quebec because it is very fully integrated in supply chain, as much as the auto industry. You can talk about the other one when you talk about the first one, and I think it’s important to remember that. And I want to remember that we want to take a positive attitude and a cooperative attitude.
And I do hope that Quebecers will appreciate this, perhaps because in this third election for the Bloc (with Blanchet as leader), people can be more content knowing what we’ve done thus far, and people speaking for the Bloc are well known and of good character.
But I want to say that I don’t think that fear will work with Quebecers this time. Quebecers are in a situation where fear doesn’t scare them anymore. Quebecers and Quebec will be moving ahead by remaining a nation built on the French language, on its specific values, and its model of welcoming immigrants to Quebec.
And now we’re seeing the spectre of the Century Initiative come forward, and that’s no reason to be happy. And I think the same has to do with the fact that Quebec is very different, and we need to be able to express ourselves and be prosperous and be partners, on the condition that we are able to express our own voice to Canada and Mexico (trade agreement), and if there’s a new agreement, such as the one we have with Europe.
So we are very enthusiastic in seeing, finally, the beginning of this election campaign, which is ... happening in spring, and I would like us to be together in saying at the end of the campaign and throughout the campaign, that in spite of all that, and for all that, I am choosing Quebec.
Thank you.
