Bloc platform emphasizes measures to counter tariffs targeting Quebec industry

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 29, 2025 5:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The national authorities should beryllium forced to enactment the preliminary texts of immoderate escaped commercialized statement to a ballot in the House of Commons earlier they're ratified, according to the Bloc Québécois level released Saturday.

The enactment said it would introduce a backstage member's measure requesting specified a vote, according to the platform, which highlighted the threats posed by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The level emphasized however those tariffs are specifically targeting Quebec industries like aluminum and aerospace.

Asked by the media whether helium thought the different governmental parties would hold to specified a bill, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said: "I anticipation they do."

"Last clip I checked, Canada was expected to beryllium a democracy," helium said, speaking to reporters successful Sherbrooke, Que.

"Of people immoderate pact has to beryllium supported and voted successful the parliament. If not, what's the constituent of having a parliament?"

Federal softwood charter

The enactment would besides petition that a Quebec delegation, selected by the province, beryllium allowed to represent its interests erstwhile it comes to negotiating immoderate escaped commercialized agreement, according to the platform.

It volition besides propulsion for the instauration of a national charter connected softwood, saying the forestry manufacture is being attacked by amerciable American tariffs. The enactment wants more Quebec softwood to be used successful gathering and renovations. 

The level says it volition enactment with the national government, the state of Quebec and manufacture successful bid to diversify markets for fisheries, noting that 85 per cent of the merchandise is presently exported to the United States. 

It besides suggested companies successful Quebec should instrumentality vantage of national worker cuts successful the Trump medication to enlistee American technological minds.

On subject procurement, the Bloc wants Canada to hit the NATO extremity of 2 per cent of GDP for subject spending earlier the extremity of this decade by investing successful Quebec industry.

It besides says the Canadian authorities should get the root codification for F-35 combatant jets or different end its contract. 

Refers to sovereignty referendum

The Bloc explicitly mentions a referendum connected sovereignty successful its platform, stating it would enactment hard to accurately present a representation of Quebec to the planetary assemblage and both Quebec and Canada's diplomatic corps, successful bid to hole them for that possibility.

On housing, the Bloc says it wants to trim "flipping" successful the existent property marketplace by forcing spot owners to support a spot they bargain for astatine slightest 2 years.

It besides wants to suggest "major" federal help for first-time location buyers who are purchasing a spot of "reasonable value."

Top up aged property pension

On health, the enactment pledged to proceed to aim for the federal government to wage 35 per cent of the province's wellness attraction costs. It besides said it would inquire Ottawa to transportation oversight of the public dental attraction programme to Quebec.

Meanwhile, the Bloc would question to top up aged property pension by 10 per cent for 65 to 74 twelvemonth olds, an contented it had already raised during the predetermination successful 2021.

On taste issues, the Bloc would travel arguable provincial authorities connected secularism and ban the wearing of spiritual symbols for immoderate national employees who enactment successful Quebec.

It would besides regenerate the regular supplication held earlier enactment successful the House of Commons begins with a infinitesimal of reflection. 

The platform also calls for anyone being sworn successful arsenic a Canadian national successful Quebec to bash truthful successful French, alternatively than choosing betwixt Canada's 2 authoritative languages. Any notation to the British monarchy successful the citizenship sermon would besides beryllium removed.

The enactment besides pledged to enactment guardant a bid of backstage members' bills that would include:

• Making "sufficient" cognition of French obligatory for anyone trying to go a Canadian national successful Quebec.
• Excluding Quebec from Canadian multiculturalism.
• Reducing the wage of the Governor General to a symbolic $1.