The Bloc Quebecois does not have official party status in the House of Commons. In the 2011 general elections, its ranks were reduced to 4 seats, a decline of 43 seats. Then, Claude Patry, elected as a New Democrat in 2011, decided to go sit with the Bloc. So they were up to 5. Then the big debate over the “Charter of Values” erupted in Quebec. The PQ government of Pauline Marois loved it but BQ MP Maria Mourani did not and said so. For that, she was booted from the BQ caucus by its leader Daniel Paillé (who didn’t have a seat in himeself in the House.) Mourani then said she didn’t believe in sovereignty anyhow and is sitting as an independent MP. So the BQ was back down to 4 MPs. Today, they are down to 3 MPs as Jean-François Fortin announced he, too, will sit as an independent. Why? The new BQ leader, Mario Beaulieu (who beat Fortin for the job), is too radical. Continue reading MP quits BQ, says new leader just too radical