Bloc Quebecois leader kicked off the electoral campaign by calling it 'irresponsible'
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves Francois Blanchet criticized Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and called him "very irresponsible" as he launched his campaign on Sunday while facing the COVID-19 fourth wave.
Blanchet questioned Trudeau's decision to call an election as Ottawa looks into imposing mandatory vaccination for all government employees.
"If the threat is so great that we need to impose mandatory vaccination, isn't it too dangerous to also go on an election campaign?" Blanchet told reporters.
"Isn't that a complete contradiction coming from the Liberals?"
Blanchet brought up a number of issues that would have normally been addressed during a campaign taking place outside the setting of a pandemic, including the environment, health care for seniors, pharmaceutical research, tourism, different regions in Quebec and labour shortages.
"But instead of talking about all of that, we are going to analyze the numbers every day," Blanchet said.
"How many new cases? How many hospitalizations? And, dramatically, how many deaths? We will wonder each day what campaign organization is going to be the first to have a COVID-19 outbreak. We will be focused on daily life rather than on a vision of the future," he added.
Blanchet confirmed that his team was going to be very careful in the coming weeks, while facing an increase in COVID-19 cases -- including forbidding handshakes and hugs. He mentioned everyone on his campaign was adequately vaccinated.
Blanchet said Trudeau's goal to win a majority, which he said he thinks people will refuse to give him, carries a risk for Quebec to lose gains, such as the protection of the French language, the province secular nature and its management in terms of agriculture and health.
The Bloc leader suggested that the large presence of Bloc members in the House of Commons allowed Premier Francois Legault's government to have a better balance of power with Ottawa, and to obtain money.
Blanchet said he wishes to have a "real discussion" during the election campaign about a future economic plan that would make it possible to exit the oil industry by opting for sustainable energies in which Quebec has expertise.
Despite the critics that his party faced recently due to its methods of choosing certain candidates, Blanchet said that his "machine is running at full speed" and that "the funding is there."
Activists accused the Bloc leader of suspending inauguration assemblies and "breaking the democratic principles" of former Quebec premier Rene Levesque.
Blanchet responded by blaming Trudeau, saying the rushed election forced the Bloc to select candidates without having time to go through investiture ceremonies. He added that he applied the party's rules.
Following the press conference, Blanchet headed over to take part in Pride celebrations for the LGBTQ community in Montreal.
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: This election will be the most expensive one in history. What does that mean for the rest of us?
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 15, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.