Seven former Bloc Quebecois MPs have officially cut ties with the party.

The MPs had left the Bloc caucus in February and formed a new group tentatively called the Quebec Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons, saying they could no longer work with Ouellet because of her stubbornness.

The MPs say this weekend's meetings have convinced them they made the right decision. The seven dissident MPs had been arguing with Ouellet ever since she was named as leader of the party one year ago.

On Tuesday, they announced a round of consultations with the Quebec population to determine whether they should focus on defending Quebec's interests in Ottawa, or they should for independence.

That triggered yet another debate about Ouellet's leadership of the party and this past week the Bloc's general council of riding associations met to discuss its future.

That council decided it would hold a confidence vote about Ouellet on June 1 and 2, and that Ouellet would remain leader if she won 50 per cent plus one of the votes.

The decision tore apart the party's executive: Vice-president Kedina Fleury-Sampson quit on Monday, and MP and party president Mario Beaulieu, who wanted a confidence vote held earlier, said publicly that he was reconsidering his political future.

Rheal Fortin, one of the seven members and now an independent MP, said Quebecers deserve to be well represented in Ottawa, as they were, he said, with Lucien Bouchard and Gilles Duceppe in times past, adding that that's not happening now.

“The problem is with the leadership we had at Bloc Quebecois that led us to quit the caucus on February the 28th. Now we're getting to another point where it's impossible to go back. Mrs. Ouellette's there, she changed the mentality or the interpretation or the mission of the Bloc Quebecois and we have no other choice if we want to do our job correctly with all our heart; no choice but to start a new party,” he said.

The group plans to organize a tour as a consultative process with Quebecers with the goal of starting a new political party.

So far the would-be party doesn't have a name, but they would be prepared to welcome federalists into its ranks – if they would be willing to support sovereignists and work with them.

They say they haven't approached other MNAs or MPs yet.