Bloc Montréal unveils election platform

Bloc Montréal (BMtl) unveiled its platform for the Oct. 3 provincial election on Monday morning, in front of Dawson College.

“Montreal is the cultural and economic engine of the province, but recent policies have affected Montreal and Montrealers in a disproportionate and negative way,” said the party in a press release. “BMtl was created to defend and strengthen at the National Assembly the unique status and importance of Montreal to the well-being of Montrealers, Quebecers, and Canadians.”

The party’s electoral campaign slogan: “United for our city.”

Bloc Montréal says it, “reflects the day-to-day reality of Francophones, Anglophones, and Allophones living, working, and playing in harmony in Montreal. As Montrealers we share common values of compassion, social justice, mutual respect, openness, and tolerance. BMtl will better represent Montrealers and will advocate for greater fiscal, cultural, and political autonomy for Montreal.”

Balarama Holness, leader of Bloc Montréal said in the press release, “We are the only party advocating for more autonomy and powers for Montreal. The only way that this can be accomplished is if Montrealer’s unite.”

Platform highlights include:

• Asking that 20 per cent of the Quebec Sales Tax (QST) generated from sales and services provided in the Montreal region remains in Montreal (around $2 billion annually).
• They will impose a $5/day congestion fee on all vehicles of non-residents entering the Island of Montreal (around $0.5 billion annually) to maintain and enhance the infrastructure of Montreal, generate new sources of revenue, encourage the use of public transit, and to protect our environment.
• They will make the STM free during rush hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
• They will fight for a mixed-member proportional representation system where 65 out of 125 seats will be selected based on proportional representation from regional lists.
• They will repeal Bills 21, 32, 40 and 96 as fundamentally undemocratic and anti-Montreal.
• They will get the expansion of Dawson College back on track.
• They will de-politicize the immigration policy by conducting an annual, objective and politically independent assessment on how many and what type of immigrants are needed in each region of Quebec and what is our integration capacity within each region.
• They will support admission of genuine refugees seeking asylum and family reunification based on compassionate and not linguistic criteria.

“The additional revenues generated from QST and the congestion fee will be used to repair and improve our aging infrastructure, support use and expansion of public transit, attract top international talent to our knowledge-based industries, build affordable housing, new sport facilities, after school programs, parks and green spaces. We will also develop targeted programs to help businesses disproportionately affected by the pandemic to get back on track.”