MONTREAL - Luc Harvey reckons he knows just what Quebec voters need: another political party, this one led by himself.
The former Conservative MP announced the creation of the Quebec Conservative Party in Quebec City Wednesday.
"For the first time in the last 50 years Quebecers will have the possibility to vote for the right," said Harvey.
In contrast to the newly-formed Coalition for Quebec's Future (Coalition Avenir Québec), Harvey said the Conservative party will be an avowedly federalist option that will promote a socially-conservative agenda and a flat tax.
"When you have a flat tax you have one flat rate," said Jean-Francois Plante, another founding member of the party.
"It's the same thing for business, same thing for people and your income tax paper looks big like this, how much you earn, how much you're going to pay and that's it, that's it."
Harvey also favours the tough-on-crime attitude championed by the federal Conservatives.
One Quebec political analyst noted that the party will need donors and solid candidates if it holds any hope of attracting votes.
"It does show, at some level, a desire for change," said political analyst L. Ian MacDonald.
"The conservatives feel maybe they can get themselves organized under a brand that is not (CAQ leader) Francois Legault, who is after all not new, he's a retread, from the PQ."
The party is planning a rally in Quebec City on February 7 and will determine a party platform at the end of March.
