In the wake of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announcing an end to his coalition with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Bloc Québécois hopes to step in and take the NDP’s place in helping the Liberals ward off an early election.
Last week, Singh “ripped up” the supply and confidence agreement between the two parties. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet is now leveraging his party’s position to get “gains” for Quebec in exchange for voting with the government.
Parliament resumes in the House of Commons on Monday next week. The Conservatives have promised to introduce a motion of no confidence in the current government, while the NDP has said it would consider supporting Trudeau on a “vote-by-vote basis.”
Blanchet’s proposed deal would mean the Bloc would support Trudeau’s Liberals in votes in exchange for “clear gains” for Quebec.
At a press conference in Ottawa on Monday, Blanchet told reporters that he felt “good” about his party’s newfound additional power. Like Singh last week, Blanchet had his eyes on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in the next election.
“Pierre Poilievre recognizes that the political party with the most influence in the Canadian Parliament right now for the future is the Bloc Québécois,” Blanchet said in French. “he’s using insults to ask the Bloc Québécois to help him become leader, in the hope of saving us the trouble of telling us what he’s going to do, where he’s going to cut those billions and what he’s going to do about the various issues.”
Blanchet said Poilievre and Trudeau are the same on policies that matter to Quebecers, such as immigration, French language laws, money that he believes is owed to Quebec and pensions for seniors.
“There are plenty of issues on which (Poilievre’s) in the same position as Justin Trudeau,” Blanchet said. “ show us that you’re different, Justin Trudeau, apart from being against abortion, then we’ll see what you have to offer.”
Poilievre has addressed the issue of abortion multiple times. Each time, to the dismay of many pro-life conservatives in Canada, declaring himself to be “pro-choice.”
During Poilievre’s leadership race for the Conservative party, which he won with 68% support, he clearly stated his pro-choice position.
Poilievre’s office did not respond to True North’s requests to comment before the deadline provided.
Blanchet said he would announce the Bloc’s demands of the Liberal government in a statement on Tuesday.
“I’m not paid by the hour to be Pierre Poilievre’s agent when he wants to become Prime Minister of Canada. I’m here to make gains for Quebec,” Blanchet said. If the Liberals don’t get into the frame of mind to let us make some very clear gains for Quebec, they’d better pump up the tires on their election truck right away.”