Bloc accused of being NDP clone

DANIEL LEBLANC and OMAR EL AKKAD AND GLORIA GALLOWAY

Globe and Mail Update

September 10, 2008 at 11:36 AM EDT

SHERBROOKE, Que. and OTTAWA — The Bloc Québécois came under both friendly- and enemy-fire today, placing the opposition party on the defensive for the first time in the campaign.

On the friendly-fire side, a senior separatist tore into the Bloc campaign as an unappealing, left-wing clone of the NDP. Jacques Brassard, a former Parti Québécois minister on the provincial stage, launched his tirade in a Montreal newspaper, arguing that the Bloc is losing touch with a number of Quebeckers.

“The Bloc Québécois is turning into a clone of the NDP, with the issue of sovereignty on the backburner,” Mr. Brassard was quoted as saying in La Presse.

“They have adopted a left-wing discourse, with all the themes of the left. I'm sorry, but that is not appealing to me. I don't recognize myself in that party,” he said.

On the enemy-fire side, the Conservative Party increased its attacks on the Bloc by pointing out that it has made over 1,000 promises since 1990.

“This election is a time of reckoning for Gilles Duceppe and his colleagues,” said Conservative candidate and former senator Michael Fortier at a news conference.

Mr. Fortier said the Bloc has wasted 18 years in the House as it achieved no real results, spearheaded no major projects and created no employment.

“The only jobs that Bloc MPs have created in 18 years are their own,” he said.

“A vote on the Bloc is a wasted vote – Quebeckers are already realizing the Bloc can't deliver, and are already turning their back on this powerless party,” he said.

Speaking in Sherbrooke, Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe rejected the allegation that he is turning his back on small-c conservatives, as stated by Mr. Brassard.

Instead of calling himself left- or right-wing, Mr. Duceppe said the Bloc is pragmatic, progressive and democratic.

“I don't want to get involved in a battle over labels,” he said.

Mr. Duceppe added that he also raises the issue of sovereignty in all of his speeches, and that his job in Ottawa is to bring issues that are part of a consensus in Quebec, such as support for the Kyoto Accord.

At a campaign event in Oshawa, Ont., NDP Leader Jack Layton said Mr. Brassard is not prone to complimenting New Democrats

“He is someone who doesn't seem to agree with a lot of progressive policies,” said Mr. Layton.

“But, you know, I think the values of the NDP really come very close to the great majority of Quebeckers. As the first NDP leader born and raised in Quebec, I feel this very intensely and I've always thought that there should be more of a connection. And that's why I have worked so hard to build our team in Quebec.”

The Conservatives have sensed an opportunity in Quebec, where the Bloc is struggling in many parts of the province. The Tories are pushing hard to make gains there, but Mr. Fortier would not say how many seats he thinks the Conservatives can win in Quebec.

This is the third day in a row that the Conservatives have used their daily morning briefing to attack another party or its leader. The past two days, Conservatives have focused on Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion.

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Commentary in the Globe and Mail by the Ottawa Mens Centre

Ottawa Mens Centre.com, from Ottawa, Canada wrote: The Bloc is the Block and its probably insulting to members of the Block to be called NDP.
For many Canadians, especially Canadian Dads, is also insulting to see the letters NDP, you see , it stands for NO D A D S PARTY, Jack Layton has always been an equal parenting opponent, he like many other members of the NDP have chosen to take a crazy anti father approach that children belong with mothers simply because mothers gave birth.

Our courts especially Family Courts have 4 times the case loads that they did 20 years ago with the same number of judges. That means Judges get rid of cases creating a massive trail of destruction that would not have occurred if men and women were truly treated as equal in Canadian society which also requires that children have a legal presumption of equal parenting after separation.

No, not the NDP, they support a notion that any woman can turn almost any man into an unwilling sperm donor will pay for that theft of his sperm indefinitely and more importantly, the NDP support a Family Court Judicial system that encourages judges to make orders for child support without a shred of evidence of income to support the requested level of support. Those orders are now being issued across Canada thanks to the political lobby groups that are part and parcel of the Anti Father NDP.

www.OttawaMensCentre.com