Federal vote 2008: Candidate profile

Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Ste. Anne de Bellevue voters will soon go to the polls to choose their federal representative in Ottawa.

To that end, Hebdos du Suroît newspapers will continue with a feature series on the candidates so voters can learn their positions on many key issues.

Each candidate will answer the same set of questions. We invite readers to compare and contrast responses and draw their own conclusions.

In his first political bid for public office, Maxime Clément, 20, is seeking to represent the Lac-Saint-Louis riding for the Bloc québécois.

Though the Montreal resident does not live in the riding, Clément, a communications and political science student at the Université de Montréal, says he is ready to represent the region.

Clément’s past achievements include acting as president for Montreal University’s Communications and Political Science Student Association, and vice-president for technology in business for Jeunes entreprises.

Clément has also performed as a comedian in a number of amateur theatrical productions.

Q: Middle class families seem to work harder in order to make ends meet with less money. How does your party propose to help them?

A: The Bloc will work for the government to help families. We would like to put some measures in place to reduce the dependence for gasoline, and we would like a concrete plan for the manufacturing industry and the forestry industry because they are both important to Quebec.

We would like to re-establish many social organizations and bolster economic development funding.

We feel that by helping Quebec’s economy we will help middle class families by giving them a better economy.

Q: What is your party’s stance on environmental issues such as the Kyoto Protocol?

A: The Bloc québécois believes we should apply the Kyoto Protocol right now. This was not done in the past but by giving each province a target to meet in terms of reducing greenhouse emissions we can reward provinces that make the effort and those that pollute like Alberta and Saskatchewan will have to pay. Quebec has reduced its gas emissions since 1990 and Alberta has increased by as much as 36 percent and they should have to pay.

Q: Do you think gas taxes should stay the same, be lowered, or increased?

A: It is a good question to ask, but I am not as familiar with this issue so I don’t really have an answer.

Q: Should we be doing more to bring immigrant workers to the region to supplement the lack of workers?

A: I don’t believe the question is if we should employ immigrants in the regions. I think the important question is that you must be integrated into Quebec society when you come here from another country. You must learn the language and the traditions and if this is done (immigrants) will find it easier to find work.

If they do not get integrated into the society this will create a micro society and the exchange between cultures will not happen.

Q: Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently called Quebec its own nation. What do you think that means to Quebec and to Canada?

A: Honestly that means nothing. The motion that they passed in 2006 was really meaningless. Mr. Harper does not want to attach anything to the declaration and if there are no concrete measures this means nothing.

Q: Prime Minister Harper recently said he would pull Canadian troops out of Afghanistan by 2011. How can parties manage to pull out troops safely and quickly?

A: I think the troops should enter into humanitarian missions by next February because what we are doing over there does not help. We must help develop programs (in Afghanistan) that reduce poverty there and the military must be sure that the conditions are good for reconstruction opportunities.

Q: Do you feel government should financially encourage and fund sports initiatives such as Olympic athletes?

A: Yes that is essential, but there are also many things that are important like the culture. I think it will never hurt the government to fund sports but they can cut things like helping artists! This is something Quebec can do itself but federal money is always welcome.

Maxime Clément’s campaign office is located at 4055 Ste-Catherine Ouest, Suite 135

Montréal. To reach him call 514-933-5361 or email lslouis@bloc.org.