Bloc Québécois leadership election, 2017

Bloc Québécois leadership election, 2017
Date	March 14, 2017
Resigning leader	Gilles Duceppe
Won by	Martine Ouellet
Ballots	acclamation
Candidates	1
Entrance Fee	$15,000 CDN
	Bloc Québécois leadership elections ; 1996 · 1997 · 2011 · 2014 · 2017 · Next

Last updated March 15, 2019

An election for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois was held on March 14, 2017 to choose a successor to Gilles Duceppe, who resigned on October 22, 2015 after the 2015 Canadian federal election. Rhéal Fortin, MP for Rivière-du-Nord, has been serving as interim leader since Duceppe's resignation.^[1] The election was initially scheduled for April 22, 2017 but ended on March 14, 2017 at the end of the nomination period, because there was only one candidate. Ouellet's tenure was controversial due to her staunch separatist views, and, following a leadership vote, she was forced to resign in June 2018.

Lucien Bouchard, the first leader of the Bloc Québécois was elected by acclamation by the MPs who formed the Bloc in 1990. When the party held its first convention in April 1995 his leadership was ratified by the delegates.

Gilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement and former leader of the Bloc Québécois. He was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada for over 20 years and has been the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for 15 years in three stints: 1996, 1997-2011 and in 2015. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean Duceppe. He was Leader of the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada from March 17, 1997, to June 1, 1997. He resigned as party leader after the 2011 election, in which he lost his own seat to New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Hélène Laverdière and his party suffered a heavy defeat; however, he returned four years later to lead the party into the 2015 election. After being defeated in his own riding by Laverdière again, he resigned once more.

Rhéal Éloi Fortin is a Canadian lawyer and politician.

Timeline

October 19, 2015 - 2015 federal election results in the BQ winning 10 seats, up from the 2 it had when parliament dissolved; however, Duceppe fails to win a seat in Laurier—Sainte-Marie.
October 22, 2015 - Duceppe resigns as party leader. Rhéal Fortin (MP for Rivière-du-Nord) is appointed interim leader.^[1]
February 2016 - A motion by MPs Xavier Barsalou-Duval and Mario Beaulieu challenging the right of interim leader Fortin to run for permanent leader is defeated by the parliamentary caucus by 5 votes to 4 with Fortin absenting himself from the vote.^[2]
December 7, 2016 - Interim leader Rhéal Fortin (MP for Rivière-du-Nord) announces that he will not seek permanent leadership of the party.
February 4, 2017 - The general council of the BQ adopts the election rules and starts the election period.
February 4, 2017 - Nomination period opens.
March 14, 2017 - Nomination period ends. One candidate, Martine Ouellet fulfilled the nomination requirements.
March 18, 2017 - Martine Ouellet officially acclaimed as the next leader of the Bloc Québécois.^[3]

Laurier—Sainte-Marie is a federal electoral district in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. Its population in 2006 was 101,758.

Xavier Barsalou-Duval is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.

Mario Beaulieu Canadian politician (president of Bloc Québécois)

Mario Beaulieu is a Québécois nationalist, who was the interim leader (2018-2019) 2018 and former president (2014–2018) of the Bloc Québécois. He previously served as BQ leader from 2014 to 2015. He was the president of the sovereigntist Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste of Montreal from 2009 to 2014, and has been the spokesman for the Mouvement Québec français, a coalition of organizations in favour of the preservation and defence of the French language in Quebec.

Candidate

Martine Ouellet , engineer, Parti Québécois MNA for Vachon (2010–present), former Quebec Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife (2012-2014), placed third in 2015 and 2016 Parti Québécois leadership elections. She announced her intention of running on February 5, 2017.^[4] She became candidate on March 12, 2017.^[5]^[6]
- Supporters: Xavier Barsalou-Duval,^[4] MP for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères (2015–present); Catherine Bouchard-Tremblay,^[7] 2016 Option nationale provincial candidate in Chicoutimi; Michel Boudrias,^[8] MP for Terrebonne (2015–present); Claude Cousineau,^[4] MNA for Bertrand (1998–present); Marilène Gill,^[4] MP for Manicouagan (2015–present); Simon Marcil,^[8] MP for Mirabel; Gilbert Paquette,^[4] former MNA for Rosemont (1976-1985) and minister (1982-1984), 2015 BQ candidate in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun; Monique Pauzé,^[8] MP for Repentigny (2015–present); Sophie Stanké,^[7] 2015 BQ candidate in Châteauguay—Lacolle; Gabriel Ste-Marie,^[9] MP for Joliette (2015–present); Denis Trudel,^[7] 2015 BQ candidate in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert.
- Campaign website: martineouellet.quebec
Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères is a federal electoral district in Quebec. It encompasses a portion of Quebec that had been included in the electoral districts of Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher and Verchères—Les Patriotes.
Option nationale, registered as Option nationale – Pour l'indépendance du Québec, was a centre-left and left-wing nationalist political party in Quebec, Canada. It advocated for the sovereignty of Quebec from Canada, and said a vote for Option nationale is an electoral mandate for full-fledged autonomy, before holding a referendum to adopt the constitution of Quebec as an independent state. It merged with Québec solidaire on January 1, 2018 to become a collective within the party.
Chicoutimi is a provincial electoral district in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The district is located within the city of Saguenay and consists of part of the borough of Chicoutimi; it corresponds exactly to the territory of the former city of Chicoutimi prior to its February 18, 2002, amalgamation into the newly formed city of Saguenay.

Martine Ouellet is a Canadian engineer and politician who served as leader of the Bloc Québécois from 2017 to 2018.

The Parti Québécois is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishing a sovereign state. The PQ has also promoted the possibility of maintaining a loose political and economic sovereignty-association between Quebec and Canada. The party traditionally has support from the labour movement, but unlike most other social democratic parties, its ties with organized labour are informal. Members and supporters of the PQ are called "péquistes", a French word derived from the pronunciation of the party's initials.

Vachon is a provincial electoral district in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It is located within the city of Longueuil and includes most of the borough of Saint-Hubert.

Results

Being the only candidate, Martine Ouellet won the election by default at the end of the nomination period, on March 14, 2017. She was officially named leader on March 18, 2017.^[3]

Disqualified candidate

Félix Pinel, teacher, 2015 BQ candidate in Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. He announced his intention of running on February 1, 2017.^[7]^[10] He did not obtain the required number of signatures before the end of the nomination period and thus he did not become a candidate.^[11]
- Campaign website: felixpinelQc

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (electoral district) Federal electoral district

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997.

Declined

Xavier Barsalou-Duval , MP for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères (2015–present), president of the BQ's youth wing Forum jeunesse du Bloc Québécois (2011-2015)^[12]^[13]^[14]^[2]
Mario Beaulieu , BQ party president (2014–present), former leader of the BQ (2014-2015), MP for La Pointe-de-l'Île (2015–present), leader of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste (2009–2014).^[14]
Rhéal Fortin , interim leader of the BQ (2015–present), MP for Rivière-du-Nord (2015–present), lawyer.^[14]^[2]
Catherine Fournier , BQ candidate in Montarville (2015), placed second, economist by profession.^[2]
Denis Trudel [ fr ], BQ candidate in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert (2015), placed third, comedian by profession.^[14]^[2]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 "Gilles Duceppe Stepping Down, Will Be Replaced By Rheal Fortin". Huffington Post. Canadian Press. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
1 2 3 4 5 "Bloc québécois : le chef par intérim Rhéal Fortin mis au pied du mur par deux de ses députés (EXCLUSIF)". Huffington Post (in French). Canadian Press. March 31, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
1 2 "Bloc Québécois' new leader: Who is Martine Ouellet?". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
1 2 3 4 5 Marie Vastel (February 6, 2017). "Martine Ouellet briguera la direction du Bloc québécois". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved February 6, 2017.
↑ Canadian Press (March 12, 2017). "Martine Ouellet officiellement candidate à la chefferie du Bloc québécois" (in French). Radio-Canada. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
↑ Agence QMI (March 12, 2017). "Martine Ouellet officiellement candidate à la direction du Bloc québécois". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved March 12, 2017.
1 2 3 4 Canadian Press (February 1, 2017). "Un premier aspirant chef du Bloc québécois se lance dans la course" (in French). Radio-Canada. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
1 2 3 Marquis, Mélanie (February 13, 2017). "Martine Ouellet rallie la majorité du caucus bloquiste". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved March 12, 2017.
↑ Agence QMI (February 6, 2017). "Martine Ouellet reçoit un autre appui". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved March 12, 2017.
↑ Canadian Press (February 2, 2017). "Félix Pinel throws hat into Bloc Québécois leadership ring". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
↑ Pinel, Félix (March 13, 2017). "Pas de liberté sans indépendance" (in French). Retrieved March 14, 2017.
↑ "Xavier Barsalou Duval". Blocquebecois.org. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
↑ "Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc québécois". L'Oeil Régional. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
1 2 3 4 "Ex-Bloc leader Mario Beaulieu says he won't run for top job again". Globe and Mail. Canadian Press. February 19, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.

External links

Élection à la chefferie du Bloc Québécois (in French), Official page of the leadership election, Bloc Québécois
Elections Canada, Information on Leadership Contests, Bloc Québécois

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[int-1] 1 2 "Gilles Duceppe Stepping Down, Will Be Replaced By Rheal Fortin". Huffington Post. Canadian Press. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.

[hp-2] 1 2 3 4 5 "Bloc québécois : le chef par intérim Rhéal Fortin mis au pied du mur par deux de ses députés (EXCLUSIF)". Huffington Post (in French). Canadian Press. March 31, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.

[ouelett-3] 1 2 "Bloc Québécois' new leader: Who is Martine Ouellet?". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 14, 2017.

[Ouellet-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Marie Vastel (February 6, 2017). "Martine Ouellet briguera la direction du Bloc québécois". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved February 6, 2017.

[5] Canadian Press (March 12, 2017). "Martine Ouellet officiellement candidate à la chefferie du Bloc québécois" (in French). Radio-Canada. Retrieved March 12, 2017.

[6] Agence QMI (March 12, 2017). "Martine Ouellet officiellement candidate à la direction du Bloc québécois". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved March 12, 2017.

[Pinel-7] 1 2 3 4 Canadian Press (February 1, 2017). "Un premier aspirant chef du Bloc québécois se lance dans la course" (in French). Radio-Canada. Retrieved February 6, 2017.

[Marquis20170213-8] 1 2 3 Marquis, Mélanie (February 13, 2017). "Martine Ouellet rallie la majorité du caucus bloquiste". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved March 12, 2017.

[9] Agence QMI (February 6, 2017). "Martine Ouellet reçoit un autre appui". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved March 12, 2017.

[10] Canadian Press (February 2, 2017). "Félix Pinel throws hat into Bloc Québécois leadership ring". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 6, 2017.

[11] Pinel, Félix (March 13, 2017). "Pas de liberté sans indépendance" (in French). Retrieved March 14, 2017.

[12] "Xavier Barsalou Duval". Blocquebecois.org. Retrieved 2018-06-10.

[13] "Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc québécois". L'Oeil Régional. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2018-06-10.

[globe-14] 1 2 3 4 "Ex-Bloc leader Mario Beaulieu says he won't run for top job again". Globe and Mail. Canadian Press. February 19, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.