Translated from French to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.com Summary Word from the chef Serving Quebecers To end the pandemic 4 7 9 01. Health transfers 02. Living conditions of the elderly 03. International leadership 04. Labor shortage 05. Vaccine autonomy 06. Seasonal businesses 9 10 10 11 11 11 Quebecker for what we are 12 07. French language 08. Contestation of Quebec's choices 09. Solidarity with sick people 10. Freedom of expression 11. The image of Quebec 12. Arts and culture 13. Equality of women and men 14. Combating domestic violence 15. Tax justice 16. Ethics 17. Nation-to-nation relations 18. Support for workers 19. Host society 20. A roof for everyone 21. International relations 22. A peaceful society 23. Make our choices 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 Quebecois by what we want 21 25. Ecological transition 26. Economic nationalism 27. Agriculture and agrifood 28. Healthy eating 29. Aerospace 30. Forest industry 31. Clean aluminum 32. Infrastructure 33. Development of the territory 34. Local purchase 35. Single tax report 36. Shipbuilding industry 37. Saint-Laurent 38. Veterans 23 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 29 29 Quebecers like the Bloc 30 4 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 5 Word from chief Today, for reasons that seem to stem far more from partisan and personal interest than from public health or the common good, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the Liberal Party are plunging Quebec and Canada into a ill-advised election campaign even though they claim to want tougher measures to fight the virus. It is irresponsible. However, we have a duty to be part of the process in good faith and with a view to putting ourselves at the service of Quebecers, to be their exclusive voice. national in the federal parliament. Prime Minister Trudeau claims to form a majority government on September 20. Quebeckers do not want it. They feel that the obligation imposed on parties to build consensus is preferable, and many believe that, in this context, the Bloc Québécois is in a strong position to propose and obtain gains for Quebec. I believe so too. The Bloc's 2021 electoral platform aims to identify the main axes of our progress as a society, during and after the terrible pandemic. that shakes us. " The Bloc Québécois also has the opportunity to present its record of less than two years in office to the Quebecer. A balance sheet that contains clear gains: payment of compensation to farmers injured by free trade treaties, protection of aluminum threatened by the same treaties, financial support for forestry research, laws on the future protection of forest management. the offer, the protection of pension funds, the 50-week employment insurance for patients suffering from a serious illness, vote in favor of the application of Bill 101 to businesses and institutions under federal jurisdiction and unconditional recognition of the Nation Quebec whose only official and common language is French are examples. Without the Bloc, Bill C-10 on broadcasting would have turned out to be an empty shell and An election campaign is the highlight of democracy. It stages the different visions of society, the Nation, the economy and the environment, language, values and the arts, and in this case, our collective response to one of the most formidable challenges in our history. This time, therefore, the election campaign must also showcase our compassion. who clings to our daily lives, does not return in a more or less near future? How can we not consider deep adaptations and major changes to our economic model which might not withstand another such event and which is already facing the challenge of climate change? In the summer of 2020, the Bloc Québécois completed a broad consultation with economic circles, social, cultural, arts and communications, health and care for our most vulnerable people. He then published a first plan to end the crisis from an economic perspective. While the Bloc is the only party on the federal scene that wishes to influence state action without aspiring to form a government, it is remarkable that we were the first to do so, and for a long time the only ones. All aspects of our collective life have been affected by the pandemic. We must come out of it stronger, better prepared, and determined to relaunch reflections that are sometimes relegated to the background by the tragedy with which Quebec will have been confronted. would not have been passed, the law on medical assistance in dying would not have been amended and, for example again, the government could not even have passed the law implementing its own budget containing a too low bonus, discriminatory in addition to the pension paid to retirees. Finally, without the Bloc Québécois, the House of Commons of Canada would not have been forced to once again treat Quebeckers with respect. How can we not fear that an event like the COVID-19 pandemic that has bedridden, sent to intensive care, or taken the lives of so many of us, and 6 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 7 The platform carries a vision that reflects the confidence that Quebecers have in themselves, in a better future, welcoming, generous, french creating more wealth sustainable from our own resources and energy, from our innovation and from our entrepreneurs, financing the dangerous western oil. In the service Quebecers Quebeckers sent a clear message during the 2019 election: to regain confidence in the Bloc Québécois in order to defend their interests without compromise before a minority federal government. Of course, not everything is perfect. Seniors are still poorly supported and those aged 65 to 75 have nothing at all to face the pandemic. Health transfers essential to reduce wait times for surgeries, provide reasonable working hours for nurses or recruit workers for long-term care continue to be stubbornly rejected by Ottawa. We continue to read and hear insulting comments on the language and values of Quebec, when it is not to be outright called a racist when Quebec is certainly the most welcoming society on the continent. We must persevere, therefore, and give ourselves the means. Liberals and Conservatives do not offer us such a guarantee. Quite the contrary. We only have to remember the fact that the two parties took for themselves large sums that did not go to businesses damaged by the crisis in agriculture, tourism, the arts, fisheries or the industrial sector. The Bloc Québécois imposed Quebec on Ottawa. The agenda of the Canadian Parliament has been captured by the priorities and needs of Quebecers as never before for ten years. I therefore invite you to learn more about the Bloc Québec electoral platform in the context of the 2021 election. It is the result of long and rigorous reflection. It is also the fruit of our incessant tours, virtual and physical, through all regions of Quebec. The platform carries a vision that reflects the confidence that Quebecers have in themselves, in a better future, welcoming, generous, French, creating more sustainable wealth from our resources and our clean energy, our innovation and our entrepreneurs, than by financing the dangerous oil of the West. seniors or our demand for health funding. During this brief term, the Bloc urged the House of Commons to make unprecedented advances for Quebec's identity. We have obtained the official report by the House that Quebec inscribes in the constitution that it forms a nation and that its only official and common language is French. We obtained a vote in favor of applying the Charter of the French language, Bill 101, to businesses under federal jurisdiction. We have made opponents of Law 21 on the secularism of the state bow, who intended to use federal public funds to bring Quebec to court. Each day of the campaign will give the candidates and myself the opportunity to bring Quebec's voice to the poll on September 20. The Bloc's 2021 electoral platform aims to identify the main axes of our progress as a society, during and after the terrible pandemic that is shaking us. We must also prepare for the aftermath of this crisis. The unprecedented investments of the federal government over the past few months and the next few months will create unprecedented collective indebtedness. Dangerous, even. They won't come back twice. We have to make sure, right away, that this money that comes out of everyone's pockets is wisely invested. The plan of There is no election that is not important, even historic. Participate, please, and be there on September 20! The Bloc's return also allowed progress in the area of solidarity, a value dear to the Quebec nation. We got the support of the House of Commons for an unconditional increase in health transfers, an increase in the old age pension for all 65 and over, as well as more and more adequate support for people. seriously ill by increasing EI sickness benefits to 50 weeks. The Bloc's collaboration made it possible to adopt the necessary reform of medical assistance in dying. We helped repatriate more than 2,000 Quebecers stranded abroad when the pandemic struck. In short, the Bloc has been at the service of its fellow citizens, in all humanity and with empathy. We are the Bloc. And like you, we are ... Quebecers Each day of the campaign will give us the opportunity to clarify, detail and enrich this vision of our future, our economy, our values and our support for Yves-Francois Blanchet Leader of the Bloc Québécois 8 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 9 To finish with the pandemic The solidarity of the Quebec nation will have enabled us to enjoy a Quebec summer that is far more enjoyable than the long months of sacrifice that preceded it. But with the start of the school year which is on the tip of the nose; with the Delta variant of COVID-19 lurking around; With the structural problems of our health care system and our nursing staff at the end of their rope, the pandemic is not quite behind us. Many questions remain unanswered and the Bloc Québécois will ensure that it obtains the answers that Quebeckers need. The revival of Canada will not be able to exclude the needs of Quebec. 01. Health transfers We cannot say it enough: health is the priority of Quebecers. The pandemic has more than ever revealed the need to strengthen the Quebec health network. The reductions - or even breaks - of services this summer in our healthcare centers, confirm that the end of the pandemic will not resolve these consequences all at once, in particular due to the permanent underfunding of health by the federal government. All along the countryside election, the Bloc Quebecois will present offers structuring in view to make gains for Quebec, protect and promote its fundamental values and its culture as well as trigger a green stimulus creating wealth for each of its regions thanks to innovation Quebecois. here is weft that will detail the Bloc Québécois in order to prove to the Quebec nation that it can trust it to defend without compromises and on each occasion its interests. Ottawa must do its fair share to ensure that suffering people have access to quality care and that our caregivers have support and working conditions worthy of their dedication. The federal government will have to increase health transfers, unconditionally, to cover 35% of health care costs, as unanimously demanded by Quebec and the provinces. The Bloc also intends to support home care through a tax credit. The 32 elected members of the Bloc have also translated into concrete actions the economic nationalism that characterizes Quebec. We obtained the first historical support from the Chamber for the principle of a single tax report administered by Quebec. We cut funding for the Pan- Canadian Values Commission project securities, and the centralization of financial market authorities in Toronto to the detriment of Montreal. We rallied the opposition to the need to protect Quebec agriculture by putting an end to the breaches in supply management in international agreements. We negotiated and obtained from the federal government increased protection for aluminum, Quebec's second largest export sector, when Canada had abandoned it in North American free trade. We We also obtained the support of the Chamber to make workers' pension funds priority creditors in the event of a business going bankrupt. We proposed dozens of improvements to federal aid programs during the pandemic, including business loans and the wage subsidy. Finally, we convinced the opposition to unite to demand an end to corporate tax avoidance in tax havens. Quebeckers expect an increase in health transfers and the Bloc is making it its main battle horse. These advances must not be jeopardized by the irresponsible call of hasty elections by Justin Trudeau. The block Quebecers will continue to defend these issues without compromise and relentlessly. Because they are dear to us, too. Because they are part of who we are. 10 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 11 04. Labor shortage The labor shortage reported by our entrepreneurs is certainly exacerbated by the pandemic, but it already existed and will not end with the withdrawal of health measures. The Bloc Québécois will propose a whole series of measures to combat the labor shortage. This will include the suspension of the PCRE, while ensuring that it can be reactivated according to the intensity of future waves and that it remains in effect for carefully targeted sectors. and the categories of employment for which the recovery remains slow, for example the cultural sector or the aeronautics. The Bloc Québécois will also propose measures to encourage the work of seniors with their invaluable expertise, by allowing low-income seniors to work more without penalty and by involving the aboriginal nations, in addition to promoting the establishment in the regions of newcomers and newcomers. graduates. 05. Vaccine autonomy The pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of the Canadian and Quebec pharmaceutical industry when we depend 100% on foreign countries for our vaccine supply. 02. Living conditions of the elderly Quebeckers care about the quality of life to which seniors are entitled. They were the most affected by the pandemic and the least adequately supported by the federal government. The Bloc Québécois will propose a whole series of measures to raise the standard of living of the builders of Quebec in each of our regions and support their purchasing power with a view to economic recovery. The Bloc Québécois will propose a vaccine production strategy for the purposes of autonomy, including in particular the establishment of the conditions necessary for the development of a world-class industry. 03. International leadership At every stage of the pandemic, the federal government's border management has been marked by improvisation, muddle and half-measures with the common result of failure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Ottawa must finally pull itself together and offer a detailed plan for the gradual reopening of borders, as variants continue to threaten and vaccination is not carried out at the same rate across the planet. Scientific advances in recent years have revealed expensive drugs capable of thwarting several rare diseases. The Bloc Québécois will demand that the federal government revise its strategy to lower the cost, without compromising rapid access to these drugs for patients, nor the development of vaccine autonomy. The Bloc Québécois will also ensure that the federal strategy on high cost drugs is harmonized with the Quebec strategy on rare diseases. It was the Bloc Québécois that raised in the federal Parliament the urgent need to increase the old age pension. The increase in the monthly pension for all seniors, from the age of 65, remains essential. The Bloc Québécois rejects any attempt to create two classes of seniors by discriminating them according to their age. The Bloc Québécois will table a protocol for managing possible pandemic threats. Finally, archaic and discriminatory provisions must be abolished in the federal pension law. In fact, the surviving spouses of pensioners, whose marriage or common-law relationship took place after the age of 60, or after retirement, are deprived of the deceased's pension. The Bloc will propose that Canada exercise a leadership role with the World Health Organization (WHO), in order to establish a concerted strategy for the recognition of vaccines, mixed vaccination and the supervision of quarantines, taking into account developments of the pandemic in the various countries and the appearance of variants. The Bloc is proposing the establishment of a mechanism for verifying global vaccine evidence to oversee international travel based on vaccines recognized by public health authorities. Finally, the Bloc Québécois wants Canada to actively campaign for the lifting of patents on vaccines so that all countries in the world can finally be equipped to fight the pandemic. 06. Seasonal businesses Businesses unique to Quebec, such as our sugar shacks, our festivals and our seasonal businesses which have lost two full seasons due to the health crisis, deserve better targeted federal support that corresponds to their reality. The Bloc Québécois will propose changes to business assistance programs to ensure the vitality of all of our SME models. The Bloc Québécois will demand the repeal of these discriminatory provisions which undermine the dignity of seniors who have worked, among other things, in the federal public service or in the Armed Forces. Quebeckers want seniors to enjoy a retirement worthy of the efforts they have devoted all their lives to the development of their family, their community and their nation. We are. 12 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 13 Quebecer because we are 07. French language Quebeckers are concerned about the future of the French language in Quebec and are in solidarity with the challenges faced by Franco-Canadian and Acadian communities. The government of Quebec, its National Assembly and the Charter of the French language defend French as the only common and official language of Quebec, including in the workplace. The federal government and its Official Languages Act defend bilingualism, particularly in the workplace. However, bilingualism has historically been doing well in Quebec; it is French that is in decline and that must be protected. The Bloc Québécois will use all its resources to ensure that the federal Official Languages Act no longer applies to private businesses in Quebec. The Charter of the French language in Quebec must apply everywhere in our territory. Quebeckers form a nation. The Bloc Québécois will table a bill to make sufficient knowledge of French a condition for obtaining citizenship from Quebec. A proud nation. Proud of its common and official language, French. Proud of its history of resilience, creativity and solidarity. Proud of its fundamental values which allow hospitality, sharing and equality, values which make Quebec a true land of opportunities for those who live there, those who come and those who will come. The Bloc Québécois will fight with the Acadians and the Franco- Canadians to ensure that the reform of the Official Languages Act serves as a top priority the ability of these communities to live and work in French. A nation that stands up, but above all, that stands together. Together in the good times, whether celebrating the New Year or our summer filled with the unique flavors of our local producers and the invigorating air of the river. Together in the bad times, as through this health crisis of which we hope so much the end. 08. Challenge of choice of Quebec 09. Solidarity with sick people The Bloc Québécois will support any effort from the National Assembly aimed at making Quebec the sole master builder of its political choices, in accordance with its fundamental values. Quebec recently made important societal choices aimed at reiterating the secularism of the Quebec state as well as promoting and protecting the French language. These choices belong to Quebeckers only. The Bloc Québécois will impose on the federal Parliament respect for decisions that do not concern it; demand that no amount of public money be invested in legal challenges to Quebec laws; and will reiterate that the Court Challenges Program of Canada must be entrusted to an organization other than the University of Ottawa, whose institutional bias hostile to Quebec has been publicly demonstrated. The Bloc Québécois will also support the right to self-determination of the The Quebec nation protects vulnerable people and spares no means to help people suffering from serious illnesses, such as cancer. These individuals and their families often need much more than 15 or even 26 weeks of financial support to regain their health and return to work. However, Ottawa is abandoning the most seriously affected people to their fate by refusing to increase special health insurance benefits until the required 50 weeks. The Bloc Québécois will promote at every opportunity what sets Quebec apart and makes it unique in the face of the world. The Bloc Québécois will uncompromisingly oppose any policy that has the effect of reframing the Quebec nation from a Canadian perspective, blurring its differences, reducing its influence or limiting its ability to make its own decisions. In memory and honor of Émilie Sansfaçon, activist for the support of people with cancer and a mother, the Bloc Québécois will have no respite until special employment insurance benefits have been reached. 50 weeks. Quebec nation, one of its most fundamental choices, by demanding the repeal of the Referendum Clarity Act. Because we are the Bloc. 14 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 15 13. Equality of women and men 14. Combating domestic violence Equality between women and men is one of the fundamental values of the Quebec nation. The Bloc Québécois deplores and denounces violence against women, domestic violence and feminicides, which are experiencing a sad and unacceptable upsurge during this pandemic. The Bloc Québécois fights to preserve the achievements of women and finds that the best way to avoid setbacks is to move forward. The recovery of the pandemic is an opportunity to implement an inclusive recovery that makes full use of the leadership of women in public decision- making, in business circles and in their communities. The Bloc Québécois is resolutely feminist and will persist in defending women's rights in matters of justice, work and equity. The Bloc Québécois will propose better adapted and more severe penalties for crimes related to family violence and will include this type of crime as an aggravating factor in the Criminal Code, also amending the Young Offenders Act. 12. Arts and culture The Bloc Québécois will propose the holding of a commission of inquiry into the prevention, legislative framework and coercion of family violence qualified as “honor crimes”. The Bloc Québécois is proposing the repatriation of all powers in the area of culture and the creation of a Quebec organization to replace the CRTC, because we do not entrust our culture to the neighboring nation. 10. Freedom of expression The Bloc Québécois reiterates and defends the inalienable right of women to dispose of their bodies. Quebecers are not by nature quarrelsome, but our nation is carrying out its social debates, as heated as they may be, thanks to the freedom of expression of each and every one. The Bloc Québécois is opposed to censorship, the banishment of social debates and the restriction of subjects that can be discussed in the public arena, particularly in academia, in the media and in legislative assemblies. The Bloc Québécois continues unreservedly to condemn online hatred, intimidation, all types of hate speech, defamation, inciting violence, or all other forms of speech that constitute violations of the law and deserve to be punished. in good standing. The Bloc Québécois is proud to promote respect, listening, empathy, The Bloc Québécois will demand that the federal government contribute financially to the efforts of the Government of Quebec in the prevention of violence, in particular with regard to the study of the establishment of a specialized tribunal in matters of sexual crimes and domestic violence. The Bloc Québécois intends to put an end to the abandonment of employment insurance by young mothers when they lose their jobs at the end of their parental leave. Quebecers are attached to their culture and care about its promotion and protection. Canadians, a little less. This difference played a fundamental role in the scuttling of Bill C-10 aimed at better regulating culture in the digital age and forcing the giants of the Web to do their part for the development of art and the media. Quebecois. The Bloc Québécois wishes to encourage the participation of women in political life by establishing a higher reimbursement for political parties which elect a number of women corresponding to the parity zone. The Bloc Québécois is committed to improving and re-tabling this essential reform for the future of French-language creation, in particular the essential Bloc amendments which ensured the protection of Canadian and Quebec content, "discoverability" and the enhancement of Quebec arts and the production of French-language content. The Bloc Québécois will insist until it succeeds in taxing the income of digital giants at a rate of 3%, as France is already doing. The Bloc Québécois will force Internet multinationals to negotiate with Quebec and Canadian content creators in order to establish an equitable sharing of revenues. The Bloc Québécois will demand that Ottawa contribute to Quebec initiatives relating to support, training and networking for women entrepreneurs. 11. The image of Quebec The Bloc Québécois will not allow the reputation of the Quebec nation to be tarnished by slanderous attacks when we assert our rights, our language and our social choices. The Bloc Québécois will oppose at every opportunity the " Quebec bashing " and denounces the accusations of racism unjustly and frequently attached to a whole people, on the basis of false premises. The Bloc Québécois will launch a campaign to promote Quebec's image in the world and a diplomatic effort to ensure our nation's international presence. This campaign will involve asserting the inalienable right to self-determination of Quebecers as well as the positive role that Quebec plays in the world and that it could accentuate as a country, when our nation chooses. The Bloc is committed to standing behind Quebec culture in order to ensure the sustainability and predictability of cultural and tourism programs and subsidies, while the sector, its creators, presenters and its small and large events will still suffer the hardships. consequences of the pandemic over the next few years. In addition, we will ensure that the written and regional media are part of this reform. The Bloc Québécois will also demand that the sums collected in taxes from the digital giants be redirected to a fund dedicated to the arts and culture of Quebec as well as to our media. POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 17 15. Tax justice 16. Ethics 17. Nation-to-nation relations Everyone must do their fair share in Quebec; including large companies and the wealthy. The Quebec nation is fond of justice. Quebeckers do not tolerate those who have the arrogance to assume that the rules do not apply to them and who believe they deserve special treatment. The Quebec nation has always sought to maintain nation-to- nation relations with Indigenous communities. For decades, the Bloc Québécois has shown that it is an ally of the aboriginal peoples. It will always act accordingly, respecting their inherent right to self-determination. The Bloc Québécois will continue its efforts to end tax avoidance by large businesses in tax havens, which is currently supported by Ottawa. Quebecers therefore want their elected officials to demonstrate exemplary integrity. However, the outgoing Prime Minister has been condemned twice by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, a historic first, without suffering any consequences. At the same time, the financing practices of the major parties in the form of private parties at $ 1,500 entry, with privileged access to decision-makers, continue to be rife at the federal level. This culture of opaque networking and ties to major donors taints even the judicial appointment process, as the Liberals disproportionately appoint their relatives and donors to the bench. While public finances ran colossal deficits during the pandemic, the wealthiest individuals got richer. The Bloc Québécois is proposing to create a special additional tax on great fortunes. In five years, the Indian Act will celebrate its 150th anniversary. e birthday. The Bloc Québécois wishes never to have to underline 150 years of racism. This is why the Bloc Québécois aspires to make this law inoperative. The Bloc Québécois will work with the aboriginal nations on the federal scene to strengthen and guarantee their inherent rights. Together with indigenous peoples, he will ensure that the federal government fully implements the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in its jurisdictions. The Bloc Québécois will give teeth and punitive power to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. We will also reintroduce a bill to reinstate the public funding of political parties in order to eliminate any impression or possibility of cronyism. We will continue to advocate for an impartial judicial appointment process. Ultimately, this approach aims to abolish the Indian Act. The Liberal solution to solving systemic problems is often limited to announcing large sums of money, sometimes without regard to the real needs of indigenous peoples. Too often, this money does not go directly to the communities that need it and sleeps in the coffers of Ottawa. Too often successive governments have been slow to act. Too often, they are only hasty in times of crisis. We believe that the application of the right to internal self- determination, as well as the inherent right of Indigenous Nations to self-government, are the keys that will allow the full development of each of them. The deployment of the United Nations Declaration must be accelerated so that it can transform reality on the ground. Thus, the Bloc Québécois proposes to overhaul the Comprehensive Claims Settlement Policy from top to bottom, both to take into account the Declaration, but also with the aim of creating an independent entity that would deal with these claims. Such a body would make it possible to speed up the processing of requests and put an end to the situation of conflict of interest in which this Policy places the federal government. The Bloc Québécois recalls that it is the only party that has not requested and received the wage subsidy, amounts intended for businesses and community organizations and not to replenish the election coffers of politicians. The Bloc Québécois will once again demand that the Liberals, Conservatives, the NDP and the Green Party repay every penny of taxpayers' money they pocketed with the wage subsidy. The Bloc Québécois will ensure that the Indigenous Nations receive their due and put pressure on the federal government to carry out the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Finally, in the wake of the unanimous motion developed with Indigenous representatives that we passed on the last National Indigenous Peoples Day, we will maintain pressure on the federal government so that communities have all the necessary resources to lift the issue. veil over the historical reality of residential schools and to compel churches to open their archives. Every nation that wants to exercise its right to self- government will find an ally in the Bloc. The Bloc will promote the co-management of resources with aboriginal peoples. The past few years have brought great hope to Aboriginal people, but also great disappointments. Sixteen years after the Auditor General's first report and six years after promising access to safe drinking water for all Indigenous communities by 2021, Canada has failed yet again. The Bloc Québécois will also ensure the predictability and sustainability of funding for programs allowing the healing of residential school victims, such as the Health Support Program specially designed for this purpose. 18 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 19 19. Host society Quebec is a land of welcome: one of the rare true lands of opportunity where each talent has its place and where no one is left behind. The Bloc Québécois wants to make every newcomer to Quebec a success story. The Bloc Québécois will propose a series of measures to reduce unacceptable federal delays in the processing of permanent residence and immigration applications, more particularly in order to speed up the processing of permanent residence applications from Quebec, which take four to five times longer to be processed by the federal government than in the rest of Canada. We will demand the transfer of the temporary foreign worker program to Quebec, since Ottawa refuses to manage it properly, in addition to facilitating the hiring of these workers. 20. A roof for everyone The Bloc Québécois proposes that Ottawa gradually reinvest in social, community and truly affordable housing until it reaches 1% of its total annual revenues in order to ensure constant and predictable funding rather than under one-off agreements. The harmonious integration of newcomers and the fight against racism are essential conditions for the equal opportunities that characterize the Quebec nation. The Bloc Québécois proposes that the federal government set an example by using anonymous resumes within its public service in order to fight against discrimination in hiring. The Bloc Québécois proposes that all federal surplus properties be devoted as a priority to the development of social, community and very affordable housing in order to help reduce the housing crisis. 18. Support for workers The Bloc Québécois will demand the repeal of the Safe Third Country Agreement to put an end once and for all to irregular crossings at the Canada-United States border, thus allowing for a more orderly reception of migrants. Above all, the end of the Agreement will put an end to the imbalance affecting Quebec and its borders, through which an overwhelming majority of asylum seekers enter Canada. The Bloc Québécois will propose a tax on real estate speculation in order to counter the artificial rise in the markets. Quebec workers pay their fair share of contributions in the hope of being supported if something goes wrong. However, the pandemic revealed the weakness of the Canadian social safety net when Ottawa had to invent the ECP from scratch to cover the inability of employment insurance to protect workers. 21. International relations The Bloc Québécois will propose a reform of the homeownership regime to take into account the different realities of Quebec households and increasingly diverse family situations. In matters of international relations, Quebec's official policy is the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine. This states that everything that is within the jurisdiction of Quebec on its territory is under the jurisdiction of Quebec in the world. This is the case in education and culture. The Bloc Québécois will propose a comprehensive reform of employment insurance which will protect all workers and which will take into account the increasingly unavoidable realities of self-employed workers or workers with special status, as well as seasonal work. This reform will also permanently close the black hole in employment insurance. The Bloc Québécois proposes that Quebec be a privileged land of welcome for French-speaking refugees. The Bloc Québécois proposes that the federal government carry out a financial reorganization of the various programs resulting from the National Housing Strategy to create an acquisition fund. The establishment of this fund would allow cooperatives and NPOs to acquire housing buildings currently accessible in the private market, to preserve their affordability and to turn them into social, community and very affordable housing. Finally, because the Canadian model of multiculturalism is detrimental to the integration of newcomers into Quebec society, the Bloc Québécois will introduce a bill to exclude Quebec from the Multiculturalism Act in order to allow Quebec to choose its own model. . The Bloc Québécois will demand that Quebec be able to conduct all of its international relations, including the conclusion of treaties, within its areas of jurisdiction. We are therefore proposing an international representation process similar to the Belgian model, which would mean that Canada would have to obtain Quebec's consent before taking a position in an issue falling within its jurisdiction, such as at UNESCO. We will also re-introduce a bill to ensure that workers under federal jurisdiction have the same rights as others, in particular by prohibiting the use of scabs and allowing preventive leave with pay for expectant mothers. The Bloc Québécois will ensure that Quebec receives its fair share of funding, without conditions, for federal homelessness programs, while asking to make permanent the amounts allocated in the last year during the pandemic. The Bloc Québécois will demand that Canada stop selling all military equipment to Saudi Arabia when it is now known that the Saudi regime is using it against the civilian population, especially in Yemen. We will continue our efforts to make pension funds priority creditors in the event of a company's bankruptcy. 20 POLITICAL PLATFORM BLOCK 2021 21 22. A peaceful society The proliferation of firearms must be contained, while respecting hunters and athletes, whose legitimate activities involve rules of safety, storage and transport. Quebecer because we want The Bloc Québécois will demand greater control over the flow of illegal weapons and parts across borders. We will demand that the assault gun buyback program be mandatory, otherwise it becomes unnecessary, and that the federal government change the laws to define what constitutes an assault weapon rather than banning models on a case-by-case basis. More than ever, it is on the roads of Quebec that the summer has unfolded. Many of us were dazzled by the meeting of the river and the ocean in Gaspésie, the escarpments of the Fjord or the landscapes of the North Shore. Others were filled to the brim with the wind of the Islands or the tranquility of the boreal forest. Many took advantage of the good weather to dive into the welcoming waters of the Eastern Townships lakes or the beaches of our inland sea of Lac Saint-Jean. And others have felt the call of our metropolis and our national capital, with their unbeatable cultural offers and their endless evenings. quest for a greener and more prosperous future for Quebec. Pioneers aiming to develop the aerospace of tomorrow, cutting-edge artificial intelligence, ecological technologies or the sustainable use of our forest in order to consolidate our place among the great innovative nations of the world. These are all areas where Quebec is a pole with enviable expertise that the federal government must recognize and generously support, rather than sprinkle subsidies from coast to coast. All creators in their own way, both protectors of our know-how and guarantors of our collective future. We also propose that, since the federal government lacks seriousness in the control of handguns, that it transfer all of this responsibility and the assoc