Bloc Québécois wants Balarama Holness to change political party name

For the second time in a month, Balarama Holness is being asked to change the name of his new political party.

The former Montreal mayoral candidate is hoping to do some damage in the upcoming provincial election with his party Bloc Montreal.

Now the federal political party the Bloc Québécois has made an official complaint about the name.

“Their claim has no basis. It has no merit,” Holness told Global News.

Holness’s new provincial party was initially called Mouvement Quebec, named after his municipal party Mouvement Montreal.

But after Mouvement Quebec Francais complained about possible confusion from the public, Holness was ordered by Elections Quebec to change his party name. He decided on Bloc Montreal, and now the Bloc Québécois is officially contesting that name.

In a letter to Elections Quebec, Bloc Québécois president Johanne Deschamps expresses worry that certain electors may believe Holness’s party is related to theirs, even though their values are “radically opposed.”

“For purposes of clarity and consistency, we therefore ask you, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, not to authorize the use of this name by this new party,” Deschamps wrote.

Holness argues there is no way people could confuse the two as their beliefs are completely different.

“We are advocating for policies that are yin and yang vis-a-vis the Bloc Québécois,” he said.

The Bloc Québécois defends French and wants Quebec independence, while Holness promotes bilingualism and is courting anglophone votes.

“Some political parties may feel that they are under threat and that we have a rise in this political and social movement,” he said. “We are not asking for a sovereign state. We are asking for a bilingual, business-friendly, multicultural, multi-ethnic environment that is objectively against Bill 96 and 21. There are no similarities in regards to our policies.”

Holness points out the irony in the Bloc Québécois, a federal party advocating for Quebec to have more control of its own affairs, now trying to meddle in Quebec provincial affairs.

“It’s unimaginably hypocritical and quite ironic. More importantly, they were outside of their jurisdiction,” he said

Elections Quebec would not comment on the specific case but told Global News that all political party names are subject to rigorous analysis to make sure they don’t break election rules, including being identical or similar to other municipal or provincial parties already authorized.

They pointed to the list of authorized provincial parties, and Bloc Montreal is still there right at the top with the election campaign just days away.