Controversial question in English debate may have galvanized Bloc voters

At a bowling alley in Montreal's east end on a weekday afternoon, Ral Desrochers is playing in his weekly league and also considering his choices in next week's federal election.

Desrochers had been planning to vote Liberal, but a key moment in last Thursday's English-language leaders'debate galvanized identity sentiments in Quebec and spurred him to change his mind and choose the Bloc Qubcoisled byYves-Franois Blanchet.

"For me, it's because the Bloc will balance the situation in Ottawa," Desrochers said. "I know he won't form a government, but he will defend Quebec [in Parliament]."

Desrochers called the moment "a direct attack on Quebec, and I don't like it."

Last Thursday, at the beginning of the English leaders' debate, moderator Shachi Kurlasked Blanchet why he supported bills 21 and 96 respectively, Quebec's secularism law and its proposed new law to protect the French language.

"You denied that Quebec has problems with racism yet you defend legislation such as bills 96 and 21, which marginalize religious minorities, anglophones and allophones," asked Kurl.

"Quebec is recognized as a distinct society, but for those outside the province, please help them understand why your party also supports these discriminatory laws."

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Blanchetshot back, saying, "The question seems to imply the answer you want."

"Those laws are not about discrimination. They are about the values of Quebec," he said.

Although Blanchetwas visibly frustrated, a Lger poll published on Wednesday suggested the majority of Canadians outside Quebec thought the moderator's question was a fair one.

The poll found that 69per cent of respondents who live outside Quebec agreed thatKurl's question was appropriatewhileonly 12per cent saidit wasn't.

According to that same poll, 65 per cent of Quebecersagreedthe question was inappropriate.

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The exchangehad the effect of reviving an old wound, leavingQuebecers feeling disrespected and misunderstood by the rest of Canada, according to several experts interviewed by CBC.

It created a situation in which adebate that istypically almost ignored in Quebec mayhave changed the game for the federal election on the ground.

A bounce for the Bloc

The Bloc Qubcois has risen from its slump in the polls back to a level of popularitysimilarto what it enjoyed during the 2019 election, in which it experienced a dramaticcomeback, winning 32 seats after being reduced to 10 in the previous election.

According to anotherLger poll published earlier this week, the party went from27 per cent to 30 per cent of votersupport in the province after the English debate.

"It ignited Quebec's identity sentiments," said Guy Lachapelle, a political science professor at Concordia University in Montreal.

"Quebecers are sick of Quebec-bashing in general. I think there is a misunderstanding of the major issues and debates in Quebec."

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Lachapelle doubts the increase in Bloc support will make a huge difference in which party ends up forming a government, though it minimizes the Liberals' and Conservatives' already slim chances offorming a majorityand reduces the NDP's chances ofmaking gains in the province to almost nil.

For Christian Bourque, executive vice-president at Lger, though, that small bounceaccompanied by the Liberals surpassing the Conservatives in the polls this week despite an endorsement of Erin O'Toole byPremier Franois Legault could lead tosurprises Monday night.

"We're all in these sort of dominoes because the race is so tight," Bourque said.

There are about 15 three-way races between the Bloc, Liberals and Conservatives, he said.

"Since 2011,Quebec is, around Canada, probably the region where we have the most strategic voters, who will change alliance depending on how they feel the race is going," Bourque said.

LiseThriaultsaysshe hasvoted for theNDPsince the so-called orange wave in 2011, but this time,she went to an advance poll to vote for theBloc the day after the English debate.

"Telling me, at 70 years old, that I'm a racist because I want to be proud of my French language?Non, a marche pas a.It doesn't work,"Thriaultsaid, switching easily between English and French.

"I was insulted, and Monsieur Blanchet did a good job. I'm behind him 100 per cent."

Lachapelle says many Quebecers had a similar reaction. He, too, thinks English-speaking Canadiansare misinformed about thenuances of Quebec issues.

"We typically have a pretty good idea of what's happening in other provinces in Quebec, but the reverse is not always true," he said.

Thriaultlives in the Montreal riding of Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, the NDP's last seat in the province, held by incumbentAlexandre Boulericefor the past 10 years. She said thatthis year, she was proud to vote for the Bloc's 21-year-old candidate,Shophika Vaithyanathasarma.

In an interview with CBCthis week,Vaithyanathasarmasaid her own feelings about Bill 21 are complicated.

She supports the bill but is concerned that there is not enough diversity of candidates and politicians who are part of the conversation about it.

"That's one of the reasons I'm involving myself in politics: none of the people who are talking about the bill are racialized,"Vaithyanathasarmasaid. "I seriously think we have to listen to the citizens that are concerned."

Vaithyanathasarma, whose parents immigrated from Sri Lanka,says minorities should not be excluded from the discussion.

"That is one of the biggest mistakes we could make," she said, smiling.

Mireille Paquet, who holds the research chair on the politics of immigration at Concordia University, told As It Happensthe question served Blanchet because "it allowed for Blanchet to speak as if he was representing all of Quebecers, and as if Quebecers were all united around these pieces oflegislation."

All three major party leaders have called on the media partnership ofAPTN News, CBC News, CTV News, and Global News, which produced the debates, to apologize to Blanchet for the question.

Premier Legault'scontroversial gambit

The conversation about the debate has overshadowed another significant development in the federal race in the province.

Hoursbefore the English debate, Legaulttook a public stance against Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, saying Quebecersshould "beware of three parties: the Liberal Party, the NDP and the Green Party."

Legault was irked by those parties' intentions to intervenein health-care matters, which are under provincial jurisdiction, and said, "For the Quebec nation, Mr. O'Toole's approach is a good one."

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But Lachapelle, the Concordia professor, says Legault'sendorsement could backfire. Many Quebecershave grumbled about being told who to vote for. The Conservatives have lost some ground in Quebec since the endorsementand are now polling at 18.4 per cent, according to 338Canada founder Philippe Fournier.

The voters of Legault's Coalition Avenir Qubec party are generally split between voting Bloc, Liberal and Conservative at the federal level. Legault's gamble may have alienated a good portion of them, Lachappelle said.

"Legault risks losing a certain amount of his base, especially if the Conservatives win and don't deliver [on their promises to Quebec]."

Still, as the dust settles following the debate and its controversy, the polls suggest that Quebecers may end up voting along the same lines as they did in 2019.

"I'm under the impression we're going to have a similar result as the last election," he said.

Wednesday's Lgerpoll surveyed 1,000 Canadians 18 and older online.It is not possible to calculate amarginoferroron a panel sample. However, as a comparison, the maximummarginoferrorfor a 1,000-respondent sample is plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error for information that specifically pertains to Quebec is higher, given the smaller sample size.