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Bloc Québécois rank and file to get voice on party direction

Objective of such a vote for members is clear, Ouellet says: to confirm that Bloc's role is to promote independence in every forum possible

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With the dissenters saying the party brass is in denial about its leadership problems, the Bloc Québécois executive announced plans Thursday to hold a membership referendum on what the organization should be doing.

In what appears to be an attempt to isolate the seven Bloc MPs who quit last week saying they could not work with leader Martine Ouellet, the party’s national executive — which is faithful to Ouellet — called in the media to announce a three-pronged plan to break the impasse.

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And while a referendum on the vision and role of the Bloc is part of the plan, a confidence vote in Ouellet’s leadership is not.

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“We can see the question of the Bloc’s role is at the core of this debate,” Ouellet said at a news conference in Montreal where she was flanked by the party’s executive members. “I believe the promotion and preparation for the Republic of Quebec cannot be disassociated with defending the interests of Quebec.

“A referendum on this question will allow us to clear up their debate once and for all. We need to clarify, and the best way to clarify this debate is to have the largest consultation possible.”

The issue is at the heart of the dispute between the dissenting MPs and Ouellet, which has rocked the party. While Ouellet says they should be hammering away at the independence issue daily in the House of Commons, the MPs say their voters are more concerned about bread and butter issues and want them to stand up and defend Quebec’s interests in the federation.

But Ouellet said Article 1 of the Bloc’s program officially states the Bloc’s role is to promote independence on every possible tribune, including in the House of Commons.

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The wording of the question and the mechanics of the process have yet to be worked out, but reporters asked Ouellet what would happen if the members voted in favour of another vision.

“If the members vote for something different, it’s clear we would have to sit down and see what the orientations of the Bloc would be,” was as far as Ouellet would go in her interpretation of such a referendum vote.

But Ouellet made no mention of the other beefs of the dissenters who also say Ouellet’s domineering, ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ leadership style makes her impossible to work with. The dissenters say Ouellet expects them to submissively follow her orders.

There have been calls for a confidence vote on Ouellet since the issue blew up. Although the executive announced Thursday it has agreed to move up a party general council meeting to April, that meeting will not include a confidence vote.

Such a vote will not happen until 2019 as planned, Ouellet and the executive said.

“I don’t think that (a confidence vote) would settle the issue,” Ouellet said, insisting she does not fear a confidence vote. “I already said I was not going to resign, that I am not abandoning, that I was not giving up the fight.”

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She also reacted to questions about her leadership’s legitimacy. Ouellet won the top job by acclamation. She said plenty of other independence party leaders won their titles unopposed, including Pauline Marois, Lucien Bouchard, Bernard Landry and Jacques Parizeau, and they never faced such questions.

As for her low standing in public opinion, Ouellet said it’s not surprising given all the “mudslinging” she has been subject to during the last two weeks.

Reaction from the dissenting MPs was swift.

“For the past week it has become clear M. Ouellet is in denial, rejecting out of hand all questions about her leadership and attempting to discredit us by calling into question our independence convictions,” said a statement issued by the seven.

They add the current debate has “slipped into the ridiculous, which neither serves the movement or Quebecers.”

“We are going back to work,” it states. “Quebecers can count on us (to represent them).”

The actual mechanics of the referendum have not been worked out. Ouellet and the executive will meet again on Saturday to discuss options.

The Bloc executive’s decision comes as part of an offensive to stabilize the party. On Wednesday evening, the party released a copy of a letter signed by 30 riding association executives stating their confidence in Ouellet.

pauthier@postmedia.com

twitter.com/philipauthier

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