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Bloc Québécois leadership election, 2017

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Date
  
April 22, 2017

Entrance Fee
  
$15,000 CDN

Resigning leader
  
Gilles Duceppe

An election for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois will be held on April 22, 2017 to choose a successor to Gilles Duceppe, who resigned on October 22, 2015 after the 2015 Canadian federal election. Rhéal Fortin, MP for Rivière-du-Nord, has been serving as interim leader since Duceppe's resignation.

Contents

Timeline

  • October 19, 2015 - 2015 federal election results in the BQ winning 10 seats, up from the 2 it had when parliament dissolved; however, Duceppe fails to win a seat in Laurier—Sainte-Marie.
  • October 22, 2015 - Duceppe resigns as party leader. Rhéal Fortin (MP for Rivière-du-Nord) is appointed interim leader.
  • February 2016 - A motion by MPs Xavier Barsalou-Duval and Mario Beaulieu challenging the right of interim leader Fortin to run for permanent leader is defeated by the parliamentary caucus by 5 votes to 4 with Fortin absenting himself from the vote.
  • December 7, 2016 - Interim leader Rhéal Fortin (MP for Rivière-du-Nord) announces that he will not seek permanent leadership of the party.
  • February 4, 2017 - Nomination period opens.
  • March 14, 2017 - Nomination period ends. Last day for candidates to register.
  • March 23, 2017 - Deadline to become a member of the party and be eligible to vote.
  • April 20-22, 2017 - Voting occurs online and by telephone from 8 am on the first day of voting until 6 pm on the final day. Leadership election results announced on the evening of the final day of voting.

    • Declared candidates

  • Martine Ouellet, Parti Québécois MNA for Vachon (2010-present), former Quebec Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife (2012-2014), placed third in 2015 and 2016 Parti Québécois leadership elections. Candidacy announced on February 5, 2017.
  • Supporters: Xavier Barsalou-Duval, MP for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères (2015-present), president of the BQ's youth wing (2011-2015); Catherine Bouchard-Tremblay, 2016 Option nationale provincial candidate in Chicoutimi; Philippe Cloutier; Claude Cousineau, MNA for Bertrand (1998-present); Vincent François; Marilène Gill, MP for Manicouagan (2015-present); Gilbert Paquette, former MNA for Rosemont (1976-1985) and minister (1982-1984), 2015 BQ candidate in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun; Sophie Stanké, 2015 BQ candidate in Châteauguay—Lacolle; Denis Trudel, 2015 BQ candidate in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert.
  • Félix Pinel, teacher, 2015 BQ candidate in Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. Candidacy announced on February 1, 2017.

    • Declined

  • Xavier Barsalou-Duval, MP for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères (2015-present), president of the BQ's youth wing Forum jeunesse du Bloc Québécois (2011-2015)
  • Mario Beaulieu, BQ party president (2014-present), former leader of the BQ (2014-2015), MP for La Pointe-de-l'Île (2015-present), leader of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste (2009–2014).
  • Rhéal Fortin, interim leader of the BQ (2015-present), MP for Rivière-du-Nord (2015-present), lawyer.
  • Catherine Fournier, BQ candidate in Montarville (2015), placed second, economist by profession.
  • Denis Trudel, BQ candidate in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert (2015), placed third, comedian by profession.

    • References

    Bloc Québécois leadership election, 2017 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA