Referendum needed to break impasse: Bloc brass

MON T R E A L • The Bloc Québécois executive says the only way to break a stalemate with seven disgruntled party MPs is to go directly to the party membership.

Going on the offensive on Thursday after a rollercoaster two weeks, the party executive — which is loyal to leader Martine Ouellet — proposed a referendum on the mission and role of the party. It says it is the only way to break the impasse in the feud. There are about 20,000 Bloc members in Quebec.

But while the party brass and Ouellet have agreed to move up a party general council to April when the usefulness of such a minireferendum would be debated, a formal confidence vote in Ouellet is not on the agenda. That will not happen until 2019.

Ouellet repeated that she has no intention of resigning the leadership despite the l oss of two- thirds of the Bloc’s MPs in Ottawa. They are now sitting as independents, saying it’s more important to defend Quebec’s interests in Ottawa than preach about independence day after day.

Ouellet doesn’t see it that way.

“I already said I was not going to resign, that I am not abandoning, that I was not giving up the fight,” Ouellet said at the Montreal news conference where the referendum plan was announced.

The objective of such a referendum is clear, Ouellet said, noting the party’s Article 1 states the Bloc’s role is to promote independence in every forum possible, including in the House of Commons.

“We think this is important,” she said. “This debate keeps coming back. We need to clarify, and the best way to clarify this debate is to have the largest consultation possible.”

“I hope everyone will row in the same direction,” Ouellet said.