6 key reasons Blanchet wants you to vote Bloc Québécois in the 2025 federal election
With Canada's federal election coming up on Monday, April 28, Yves-François Blanchet and the Bloc Québécois are hoping to win over Quebec voters with a platform that puts the province front and centre.
The Bloc is a federal party that only runs candidates in Quebec and aims to defend the province's language, culture, and political autonomy in Ottawa. While they don't seek to form government, they focus on getting more power for Quebec within the federal system.
If you're still making up your mind, here are six major priorities the Bloc is highlighting in their 2025 platform.
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Promote Quebec's culture and language
The Bloc Québécois is committed to strengthening Quebec's cultural identity and the French language. Their 2025 platform outlines several key initiatives:
- Transfer of cultural powers: Proposing the transfer of all legislative powers and federal funding related to arts and culture to Quebec, including the creation of a Quebec broadcasting and telecommunications council (CRTQ).
- Mandatory French proficiency: Introducing legislation to require sufficient knowledge of French for obtaining citizenship in Quebec.
- Federal employee language requirements: Mandating that federal public servants working in Quebec demonstrate proficiency in French.
- Support for francophone culture: Ensuring that 40% of all federal cultural funding is allocated to francophone culture.
- Enhancing cultural visibility: Advocating for federal support of initiatives that increase the discoverability of Quebec culture on digital platforms.
- Modernizing cultural institutions: Proposing reforms to modernize Radio-Canada/CBC, including greater independence between French and English networks and free access to all online content.
- Copyright reform: Working towards updating copyright laws to address challenges posed by digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Create a healthier environment
The Bloc Québécois says "Quebec has always been green" and they want to keep it that way.
The party argues that Quebec's forests, rivers, land, and clean energy are key to building a sustainable economy and tackling the climate crisis, no matter what happens in U.S. politics.
If elected, the Bloc promises to:
- Defend Quebec's environmental sovereignty, ensuring that provincial laws take precedence over federal ones when it comes to land use and environmental protection.
- Push for a hard cap on emissions from Canada's oil and gas sector, leading to real, annual reductions in carbon pollution by 2030.
- Introduce a windfall tax on oil and gas profits, using the revenue to fund climate adaptation projects and help communities deal with natural disasters.
- Demand a federal reinsurance program so that Quebecers can still access affordable home insurance, even as extreme weather becomes more frequent.
- Double federal funding for public transit and support all Quebec-selected transit projects.
More control over immigration
Blanchet's party wants Quebec to have full control over immigration. That includes transferring all immigration powers from Ottawa to Quebec, including the International Mobility Program.
The party is also calling for the federal government to consult with Quebec and other provinces when setting immigration targets, so they align with each region’s capacity to welcome newcomers.
Lastly, the Bloc wants Quebec to be allowed to grant conditional permanent residency, requiring immigrants to settle in specific regions as part of their integration process.
Strengthening the border
The Bloc Québécois wants to tighten border controls and improve security across Quebec's entry points — and they're proposing some big changes to make it happen.
The party says it would:
- Create a Minister of Borders, who would be fully responsible and accountable for managing border services.
- Increase penalties for human smugglers operating at or near the border.
- Give border agents the power to intervene anywhere along the border, not just at official crossings.
- Reverse the federal government's reduction of border post hours, ensuring better service and security.
- Tackle the flow of illegal firearms by working more closely with law enforcement.
- Strengthen cross-border cooperation with U.S. and Mexican authorities to combat organized crime, especially in connection with the fentanyl crisis.
While the party sees the fentanyl crisis as first and foremost a public health emergency, it says border enforcement still plays a crucial role in stopping the illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs.
Maximize Quebec's natural resourcesÂ
The Bloc Québécois' platform includes boosting Quebec-made materials and protecting local industries from unfair trade.
For wood, the party proposes a federal "wood charter" to increase use in construction and renovation. It also wants emergency funding for the forestry sector and a full plan to support local processing and manufacturing.
For aluminum, the Bloc calls on Ottawa to help smelters expand into European markets and to give aluminum the same trade protections as steel under CUSMA.
For critical minerals, the Bloc says Quebec should control its own land and resources. It opposes federal deals made without Quebec's consent and wants the battery industry developed in Quebec, from extraction to recycling.
Fight the cost of living and support seniors
The Bloc Québécois wants to end what it calls discrimination against seniors aged 65 to 74 by increasing Old Age Security payments for that group by 10%. The party says this would eliminate the current "two classes of seniors" created by the Liberal government. It also wants to raise the earnings threshold for Guaranteed Income Supplement recipients so they can work more without losing benefits, and introduce tax incentives for seniors who stay in the workforce.
To help all Quebecers cope with rising costs, the Bloc proposes doubling the GST credit during any quarter where inflation exceeds the Bank of Canada’s target range (1% to 3%) and issuing it monthly. It also wants to:
- Adjust the Canada Child Benefit to better support blended families by basing it on the income of the actual caregivers
- Remove GST from all second-hand goods
- Limit credit card interest rates
- Offer loan guarantees of up to $10,000 for Quebecers under 35 who want to start a business
The Bloc Québécois' entire election platform is available on the party's website.
Looking for more election information? Here's why federal party leaders want you to vote Liberal, Conservative, NDP, PPC, and Green.
