Ouellet’s salary raises worries
Martine Ouellet, speaking at her first general council meeting as leader of the federal Bloc Québécois, said she has felt “resistance” from her party since her arrival nearly a year ago.
“A kind of loss of stock, just before an important event for the party such as this week’s, with no respect at all for the working bodies, does not advance us,” she said Saturday morning to about 200 delegates gathered in a Drummondville hotel to discuss the party’s finances, and the salary Ouellet will receive once she leaves the National Assembly in October.
Ouellet was referring to Quebecor media outlets, which revealed the annual salary of $95,000 she had demanded from the Bloc for the period between giving up her position as an MNA for the Parti Québécois and the next federal election. The move set tongues wagging, particularly on social media. Ultimately the party accepted the demand, but not with unanimity; Ouellet will receive a transition allowance once she leaves the National Assembly.
Ouellet defended her decision, saying that it was “completely normal” for a party to pay its leader. She said she does not believe that other politicians have been asked to work on a volunteer basis.
Bloc MP Luc Thériault said before the vote that he was concerned that the party might not have enough money for the next election campaign.
He said the party’s finances are not as healthy as it would have others believe.
“In comparison with 2014-2015, we are behind. A lot,” he said. “My interest is in limiting all that we can limit in terms of expenses. It’s up to the national office to apportion funds as it wishes.”
Bloc parliamentary chief Xavier Barsalou-Duval said that the party has ample means to pay its leader. He explained that the party, “unlike many federal parties, has no debt. … We are in a good financial situation; we have increased the amount of money raised every year since 2011.”
Should Ouellet be elected to the House of Commons, the measure will be revised, said Barsalou-Duval. In her closing speech, Ouellet assured delegates that the party would work hard to raise the money needed for the next election. She said the party faithful should put independence at the centre of their talks and distance themselves from the “same recipes that have been there for 25 years.”
But several MPs said that these remarks did not apply to them. “There is not a single Bloc Québécois MP who does not believe in independence,” said Simon Marcil.