2017 Bloc Québécois leadership election

Timeline

• October 19, 2015 - 2015 federal election results in the BQ winning 10 seats, up from the 2 it had when parliament dissolved; however, Duceppe fails to win a seat in Laurier—Sainte-Marie.
• October 22, 2015 - Duceppe resigns as party leader. Rhéal Fortin is appointed interim leader.
• February 2016 - A motion by MPs Xavier Barsalou-Duval and Mario Beaulieu challenging the right of interim leader Fortin to run for permanent leader is defeated by the parliamentary caucus by 5 votes to 4 with Fortin absenting himself from the vote.
• December 7, 2016 - Interim leader Rhéal Fortin announces that he will not seek permanent leadership of the party.
• February 4, 2017 - The general council of the BQ adopts the election rules and starts the election period.
• February 4, 2017 - Nomination period opens.
• March 14, 2017 - Nomination period ends. One candidate, Martine Ouellet fulfilled the nomination requirements.
• March 18, 2017 - Martine Ouellet officially acclaimed as the next leader of the Bloc Québécois.

  Candidate

• Martine Ouellet, engineer, Parti Québécois MNA for Vachon, former Quebec Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife, placed third in 2015 and 2016 Parti Québécois leadership elections. She announced her intention of running on February 5, 2017. She became candidate on March 12, 2017.
• *Supporters: Xavier Barsalou-Duval, MP for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères ; Catherine Bouchard-Tremblay, 2016 Option nationale provincial candidate in Chicoutimi; Michel Boudrias, MP for Terrebonne ; Claude Cousineau, MNA for Bertrand ; Marilène Gill, MP for Manicouagan ; Simon Marcil, MP for Mirabel; Gilbert Paquette, former MNA for Rosemont and minister, 2015 BQ candidate in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun; Monique Pauzé, MP for Repentigny ; Sophie Stanké, 2015 BQ candidate in Châteauguay—Lacolle; Gabriel Ste-Marie, MP for Joliette ; Denis Trudel, 2015 BQ candidate in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert.
• *Campaign website:

  Results

Disqualified candidate

• Félix Pinel, teacher, 2015 BQ candidate in Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. He announced his intention of running on February 1, 2017. He did not obtain the required number of signatures before the end of the nomination period and thus he did not become a candidate.
• *Campaign website:

  Declined

• Xavier Barsalou-Duval, MP for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, president of the BQ's youth wing Forum jeunesse du Bloc Québécois
• Mario Beaulieu, BQ party president, former leader of the BQ, MP for La Pointe-de-l'Île, leader of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
• Rhéal Fortin, interim leader of the BQ, MP for Rivière-du-Nord, lawyer.
• Catherine Fournier, BQ candidate in Montarville, placed second, economist by profession.
• Denis Trudel, BQ candidate in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, placed third, comedian by profession.