Duceppe looks to Scotland for proof separatism can rise again
Duceppe looks to Scotland for proof separatism can rise again
Returning Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe is looking to the success of Scottish National Party (SNP) in the U.K. as proof that his separatist party can rise again.
In response to a question about Quebecers’ seeming disinterest in separation from Canada, Duceppe defended his party’s sovereingtist cause, referencing the SNP victory in the recent U.K. election.
“Look at what happened in Scotland. The Scots used to vote for the Labour (Party) for years. During the referendum, they saw the Labour working together hand-in-hand with the Tories against their project, and they said, ‘We better send our own people over there to defend our own interests,’” said Duceppe in an interview with CTV’s Question Period.
Last month, the SNP won all but three of the 59 seats available for Scotland in the U.K. election, making the separatist party the third-largest in Great Britain’s 650-member House of Commons. It was the best-ever performance for the party that won just six seats in 2010.
Like the SNP, the Bloc has had its ups and downs over the years.
The party suffered a major defeat when it won only four seats in the 2011 federal election, succumbing to the so-called “orange wave” that saw a slew of NDP candidates claim seats inQuebec. The Bloc is now down to just two seats in the House of Commons.
For Duceppe, the Bloc has the utmost respect for Canada – but still wants Quebec to be its own country.
“I always said that Canada’s a great country,” said Duceppe. “It’s not against the other (Canada), but I think that it good thing that Quebec be a sovereign country. This is my deep conviction.”
Despite the Bloc’s poor performance in the polls, especially under former leader Mario Beaulieu, Duceppe is hopeful the party will perform well in the next federal election.
While he recognized the NDP’s strength in Quebec, he said he finds confidence in the Bloc’s support from the provincial Parti Quebecois, despite some differences. PQ Leader Pierre Karl Peladeau is a union-busting media barron; Duceppe was once a union organizer.
“The past is the past. What I do believe is a man who wants Quebec to be a sovereign country. The platform is there. We’re able to collaborate on that,” said Duceppe.
But Quebec political commentator Jean Lapierre told Question Period that Duceppe is going to have a hard time boosting the appetite for separation in Quebec.
“The problem for Duceppe is going to be how is he going to justify the existence of the Bloc at this time? Because Quebecers concluded last time (2011 election) that they had no use for it anymore, and now what’s new?” said Lapierre.
Duceppe says he is ready to get back into the world of politics, after a four-year hiatus. And his age — 67 — is not going to deter him.
“Hillary Clinton is the same age as me. And I’m in better shape,” said Duceppe.
For Duceppe, it was his responsibility to step up the plate and take over the Bloc leadership when asked.
“I don’t want my grandchildren to say in a few years, ‘Hey grandpa, why did you refuse?’”