(Published letter in the National Post, Monday, Sept. 13, 2004)
Re: Canada's Left Can Find Common Cause in Quebec, Sept. 8
Buzz Hargrove's suggestion that the NDP vacate the
primarily francophone ridings in Quebec in future federal elections, to make
room for the Bloc Quebecois, is a tough sell, even without the differences
regarding Quebec independence. The Bloc proposed the idea in part because they
believe they lost eight seats to the Liberals last June due to the NDP vote.
However, it is not at all certain that NDP voters in
Quebec would support the BQ in the absence of New Democrat candidates. NDP
voters reject the Bloc because they find it either too sovereignist or too
conservative for their liking. Instead, they might vote for the Liberals (if
Martin walks his electoral progressive talk) or the Greens, spoil their ballot,
or not vote at all if the NDP is a no show.
Secondly, the progressive nature of the Bloc is not a
certainty. While Gilles Duceppe has moved the Bloc toward the centre-left since
its founding by mostly former Progressive Conservatives, the Bloc would find it
very difficult to resist supporting the decentralization of federal powers
toward the provinces, as envisioned by many Conservatives, in areas such as
health care, education, welfare, and language, and this without any national
principles or Canadian social charter to ensure similar social policy and
services across the federation.
