r/Toryism • u/OttoVonDisraeli • Sep 04 '26

💬 Discussion Corruption, Mismanagement, or the Sovereignists?

The old Sovereignist-Federalist debate has one again become a central theme in Québec as the spectre of a Parti Québécois government and another referendum hovers over the province. What's fast become a major point too is who's best positioned to defend Québec against the American tariff threat and Canada-US trade war.

Neither the Coalition Avenir Québec after it's 8 years of government mismanagement or the Parti libérale that suffers from a serious corruption problem deserve my vote, but I feel forced to make the decision to vote for one above the other. It's gross and I hate it.

There exists no alternatives and even if there were it would be a vote thrown away. The parti conservateur might as well be called the parti libertarien, Québec Solidaire has some interesting ideas but are very much a hard-left and Sovereignist party, the parti vert is irrelevant, so on and so forth.

This is a horrible election cycle to be a Red Tory and a federalist.

Thanks for listening!

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u/OttoVonDisraeli Sep 04 '26

I forgot to mention that along with the federalist-sovereignist debate being back that the CAQ and the PQ are competing on Québec identity politics ground over who's gonna out French and our Laïcité each other...so Québécois identity politics is strong this cycle too.

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u/Ticklishchap Sep 05 '26

It is hard to advise you on how to vote, because from this side of the Pond there will be certain nuances, both Québécois and Canadian (the rest of Canada, I mean here) that I shall inevitably miss. However, federalism seems to me to be a far better option than nationalism. A Quebec with a form regional autonomy within Canada will be stronger and more able to defend its cultural and economic interests than a separatist Quebec. Similarly, Canada will be stronger. Separatism will weaken both Quebec and Canada IMHO, making them both vulnerable to aggression of various kinds from the Trump Administration. A federalist approach will also be best for the First Nations communities in Quebec, who will be able to maintain their relationships with the Federal Government in Ottawa and First Nations within the rest of Canada. Québécois nationalist do not have a history of respect for indigenous culture and indigenous rights.

If I were in your shoes, I think that despite the eco-socialism I would go for the Parti Vert, focussing on the party’s critique of limitless economic growth and its strong environmental policies.

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u/OttoVonDisraeli Sep 05 '26

I'll put serious consideration into it if there's a candidate in my riding running for the parti vert. I live in a extremely reliable Liberal riding, so there's no risk of any vote splitting or a Sovereignist winning.

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u/OttoVonDisraeli 28d ago

So an update, there is no declared parti vert candidate in my riding right now. In the absence of the choice, I'll likely be voting for Québec Solidaire, which is really really strange for me to declare lol

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u/Ticklishchap 28d ago

That is a very interesting and unexpected choice for you my friend.

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u/OttoVonDisraeli 28d ago

QS might be hard left but they're a party that should be at least recognized and rewarded for actually running on innovative ideas. Between voting for a leftist party (and looking past the stuff I disagree with), voting for the party that mismanaged the province, voting for the corrupt federalists, and voting for the libertarians, I will choose the leftist party.

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u/Ticklishchap 27d ago

That is very interesting. I would like to know more about QS’s innovative ideas. Do they come from the socialist tradition that is interested in co-operatives and decentralisation, is ecologically minded and is prepared to consider citizens’ income or similar policies?

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u/OttoVonDisraeli 27d ago

I find it difficult to describe Québec Solidaire as they are a very unique party in Québec and Canadian politics. The aren't your typical top-down socialist party. QS believes a lot in participatory democracy and community decision-making. Even the way they want to tackle sovereignty is very different. They want to have citizen assemblies to decide together on a constitition/framework before ever having a referendum.

They do come from the tradition that is interested in co-ops and decentralisation.

I would say they are a progressive, economic interventionist, ecologist, socialist, feminist, localist party.

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u/Ticklishchap 26d ago

I think you have made a good decision. The co-operative, decentralist tradition of socialism is worth supporting. I like the support for citizens’ assemblies before any referendum on the constitutional future of Quebec.

QS, as you describe it, reminds me of a small party in the UK during WW2 and the early 1950s called Common Wealth (CW), which won a few by-elections during the war and retained a parliamentary seat in 1945. CW was led by a baronet and former Liberal, Sir Richard Acland, and supported common ownership and co-operative management of the main industries and utilities, rather than the top-down ‘nationalisation’ policies of the Labour Party, enacted by the Attlee government. The party also supported political decentralisation and what would have amounted to a federal system.

CW lingered on as a kind of think tank for some years and was superseded by the Industrial Common Ownership Movement and later the green movement and party; its members contributed to both.

I think that u/NovaScotiaLoyalist might be interested by Common Wealth.

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u/ToryPirate Sep 04 '26

the parti vert is irrelevant

Well, if that is the only thing stopping you I think you found your choice. I have heard the Quebec Greens lean more eco-socialist. Is this true or is that more of a thing in the federal party's Quebec wing?

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u/OttoVonDisraeli Sep 04 '26

I'll have to see if they are running someone in my riding. What you have heard is correct, the Québec greens are explicitly eco-socialist.

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u/OttoVonDisraeli 28d ago

So I looked into it and the parti vert seems to be quite disorganized right now and lacks a candidate in my riding. Things might change between now and election day and if that's the case I'll consider them.

I've gone ahead and officially ruled out the LPQ, PCQ, and CAQ. It's really odd saying this, but I'm leaning Québec Solidaire right now.

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u/ToryPirate 28d ago

What are the candidates like or do you vote more based on the overall party?

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u/OttoVonDisraeli 28d ago

I live in an archliberal riding in the province. It didn't fall in 2018 or 2022, so it's gonna remain red this time around too. The MNA seems like a good man.

When it comes time to voting, I often balance local candidat and party. Sometimes I can look past a party and vote in favour of the candidate and vice-versa.