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The Bloc Québécois As a Party in Parliament a Thesis Submitted To A New Approach to the Study of a New Party: The Bloc Québécois as a Party in Parliament A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Masters of Arts In the Department of Political Studies University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By James Cairns September 2003 Copyright James Cairns, 2003. All rights reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Graduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professors who supervised my thesis work, or in their absence, by the Head of the Department of Political Studies or the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Political Studies University of Saskatchewan 9 Campus Drive Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5 ii ABSTRACT Since forming a parliamentary party in 1994, the Bloc Québécois has been interpreted exclusively as the formal federal manifestation of the Québec separatist movement. Although the party’s raison d’être is well known, less so are its actions in the House of Commons. This thesis begins with two main assumptions: first, traditional characterizations of the BQ are incomplete because they ignore crucial aspects of the party’s actual behaviour; second, conventional approaches to the study of new parties in Canada perpetuate the emphasis on the BQ’s nationalist ideology. Taking a new approach to the new party, this is a study of the Bloc Québécois as a party in Canada’s Parliament. In order to learn more about the Bloc’s performance in the House of Commons and its committees, this thesis examines the Bloc’s contribution to debate on the formulation of national policy. Contrary to what might be expected of a separatist party, the following case studies show the BQ contributing willingly and substantively to parliamentary deliberation on a wide array of pan-Canadian issues. Moreover, during debate, Bloquistes are rarely found demanding an independent Québec state; instead, they address legislation brought before the House, promoting a liberal, social-democratic set of values. Far from being a maverick in Parliament, the BQ is a full participant. In fact, Bloquistes enhance the quality of parliamentary debate, and counterbalance the views of the right-wing Reform/Alliance party. Throughout the thesis the Bloc’s surprising parliamentary performance is explained by an analysis of the influence of power and institutions on the actions of political agents. It concludes that by accepting membership in the House of Commons, the BQ has been forced to conform to parliamentary rules and customs. Subsequently, Parliament has limited the party’s ability to advocate Québec secession, and has broadened its perspective to consider all matters of national concern. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study had its origin in a conversation I had eleven months ago with my thesis supervisor, Professor David E. Smith. Over the course of my year at the University of Saskatchewan, similar conversations became the highlight of every week. As they made me think, these chats made me smile. They often made me laugh—they always made me happy. In the winter, they tempered Saskatoon’s “reprehensible cold” (Professor Smith’s words). They sent me to Hansard. During one particular chat, Professor Smith praised a colleague for “always making the person with whom he is speaking feel as though that person is the most important in the world.” I remember smiling at my professor’s love of people, and also because of how well his description fits the way he makes me feel every time I walk though his office door—a door that is always open. It is a pleasure to thank Professor Smith first and foremost for his supervision, a word that could never convey all he has given. But then, no word could. I am indebted to all of my professors, both at the University of Saskatchewan and at the University of Toronto. Their lessons are remembered each day. Thank you especially to the members of my thesis advisory committee: Professors Carter, de Clercy, and Garcea. Thank you also to my fellow students in the M.A. program for their kind support throughout the year. I am particularly grateful for the companionship of Steven McGuire: a better foil one could not find. It with great thanks that I acknowledge the financial support of the Messer Fund, and also the politicians, journalists, and other officials in Ottawa who accepted requests for interviews during the trip that Messer money made possible. They are: Claude Bachand, Bill Corbett, Odina Desrochers, Paco Francoli, Jennifer Fry, Anthony Germain, Monique Guay, Daniel Leblanc, Richard Marceau, Daniel Turp, and Paul Wells. These conversations were as enjoyable as they were informative. Finally, a special thank you to my father for sharing his loving encouragement and constructive advice during all stages of this project. His time and enthusiasm were selflessly given. There is no greater reward than praise from Dad. iv DEDICATION To my family. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PERMISSION TO USE ................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................. iv DEDICATION ................................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................. vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Introduction ................................................................. 1 New-Party Study in Canada ..................................................... 5 Method ................................................................. 11 Organization ................................................................. 17 Conclusion ................................................................. 19 CHAPTER II: THE BQ AND BILL C-12: THE EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT Introduction ................................................................. 22 Consequences of the 1993 General Election ............................. 23 Bill C-12 ................................................................. 28 The Bloc’s Critique of Bill C-12 ............................................... 32 A Loyal Separatist Party ............................................................ 37 Conclusion ................................................................. 46 CHAPTER III: THE BQ AND BILL C-36: THE ANTI-TERRORISM ACT Introduction ................................................................. 49 Bill C-36 ................................................................. 49 The Bloc’s Critique of Bill C-36 ............................................... 55 Did the Bloc Use Debate on Anti-Terrorism Legislation to Advance its Separatist Agenda? ............................................ 68 Conclusion ................................................................. 72 CHAPTER IV: THE BQ AND BILL C-19: THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND WAR CRIMES ACT Introduction ................................................................. 73 Bill C-19 ................................................................. 78 vi The Bloc’s Critique of Bill C-19 ............................................... 79 The Bloc Québécois: A Canadian Parliamentary Party ............. 85 Conclusion ................................................................. 89 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ..................................................... 90 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................... 101 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Introduction This study questions the popular view of the Bloc Québécois as a party devoted solely to promoting a Québec sovereign state. Although it is clearly a separatist party, transcripts of parliamentary debate show the BQ contributing substantively to the formulation of national policy that bears no overt connection to the issue of national unity. On the whole, the party’s comments in the House are devoted to improving Canadian legislation, rather than demanding Québec be released from confederation. In the following case studies (which analyze the Bloc’s contribution to three important debates over the past decade), Bloc MPs bring a social-democratic policy perspective to the House of Commons; they attempt to neutralize the agenda of Reform and the Canadian Alliance.1 In light of the Bloc’s behaviour in the House, the study concludes that Parliament has proven to be a nationalizing agency—that membership in Parliament has forced the BQ to broaden its focus, and, subsequently, has limited its ability to advocate Québec secession. The Bloc Québécois was created in 1990 to form “the enveloping wing of the sovereigntist advance.”2 It is hardly surprising, therefore, that scholars, journalists and ordinary Canadians interpret the BQ exclusively as the federal manifestation
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