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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.