Bloc Québécois
Leader: Gilles Duceppe
http://www.blocquebecois.org/| Environment | Making sure that the federal government enforces the Kyoto Protocol in a fair and just way, without having Québec pay for Alberta’s oil industry or Ontario’s automobile industry |
| Taxation | Continuing to demand the abolition of loopholes in the income tax system allowing Canadian businesses to pay less than they should by settling in other countries. |
| Armed Forces/Military | Demanding that the federal government file for study by the Standing Committee on National Defense for any proposed purchase of military equipment exceeding 100 million $ before going forward. Also demanding that the government allow for a real consultation on the army’s purpose before spending large amounts of money. |
| Gun Registry | The Bloc Quebecois asks that the gun registry maintain fees for firearms designed specifically for hunting, while strengthening measures to combat gun smuggling and the possession of banned weapons. |
| Seniors/Low Income | Maintaining its efforts to ensure that seniors entitled to it receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement and that the government refunds the $3.2 billion it has taken from them in the past. |
| Health Care | The Bloc Quebecois intends to create an independent health care system, run by Quebec. They promise to maintain universal health care. They oppose any federal intrusion into health care, and believe the federal government should increase money transferred to Quebec. |
| Post Secondary Education | $125 million Workplace Skills Strategy – $25 million of which will be exclusively devoted to trades and apprenticeships – and $25 million Training Center Infrastructure Fund (TCIF), which supports trades related training and ensures that trade people can renew their skills in response to the demands of a changing workforce. Proposing many modifications to the Employment Insurance system in order to address the situation of seasonal workers and to allow genuine access for women and youth. Demanding a raise of federal transfers for post-secondary education (college and university) and social programs of $2.75 billion over three years for Québec. |
| Child Care | Early Learning and Childcare strategy. With the Liberal government’s five-year, $100-billion Tax Reduction Plan, families with children now enjoy an average reduction in their personal income taxes of at least 27 per cent annually. Demanding of the federal government that it transfers to the government of Québec the amount it saves off of its taxation from the Québécois low contribution day-care centers. Proposing a new bill to abolish GST on diapers and products for newborns. |
| Immigration | Demanding the establishment of the Appeal Section for refugees as it was laid out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act passed in June 2002. |
| International Policy | The main goal of the Bloc Quebecois is to represent Quebec to the rest of the world. The party takes credit for keeping Canada out of the Iraq war in 2003. Conflict resolution, peacekeeping, defence of human rights, and protection of the environment are priorities of the Bloc's foreign policy. |
| Democratic Reform | The main goal of the Bloc Quebecois is to promote sovereignty and create a country called Quebec. Therefore, any federal guidelines regarding health, education, and family are considered a democratic deficit. Democratic reform can only be achieved by creating a sovereign Quebec |
| Agriculture/Fisheries | Supporting the timber industry, the mining sector and the new generation agriculture, protecting the supply management system and demand that the federal government puts forward a sustainable fishing policy |
| Accountability | Fighting against the fiscal imbalance, federal intrusions and demanding a right of withdrawal with full compensation in all spheres relevant to its jurisdiction |
Source: http://www.mapleleafweb.com/election/federal/2004/platform/bloc.html
NGOs
NGO - three letters you might have seen tossed around that seem to be doing something, but what? NGO stands for Non-Governmental Organisation, which means a non-profit group or association that acts outside of institutionalised political structures.
Bill Tracking Database
The Great Bill Tracking Database. Great resources on keeping track of Bills.


