EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in Parliament Today, a Village Media newsletter devoted to covering federal politics on Parliament Hill.
Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet said Tuesday the Liberals have lost his support and he will soon begin negotiations with opposition parties to trigger an election.
The party had given Prime Minister Justin Trudeau until Tuesday to pass a pair of bills into law. In exchange, the Bloc would prop the Liberals up on confidence matters.
Blanchet hinted Tuesday that if the Liberals approach him “before they fall” to pass legislation on supply management and Old Age Security, he would consider changing his mind.
“We are not negotiating anything (with the Liberals) as we speak. We are negotiating with opposition parties in order to have the government fall,” Blanchet told Hill reporters. With the Conservatives, and now the Bloc, set on triggering an election, whether or not the government falls at the next confidence vote depends on the NDP.
“If they give us all we have asked for before they fall, we will look into it and be coherent with everything we’ve said so far …Bring that to us and we’ll discuss. But in the meantime, they are seriously in danger to fall.”
On his way into Question Period, Trudeau said he’s had “very good conversations” with Blanchet in recent weeks, deflecting to speak about dentalcare when pressed on whether the feds will move on Blanchet's demands. Government House leader Karina Gould maintained talks are continuing between the two parties.
But Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault had harsher language for the Bloc’s ultimatum, telling reporters the party’s “deadline is nothing precipitous.” Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos echoed that sentiment and dismissed it as an “artificial deadline.”
Blanchet pushed back against Duclos’ comments, suggesting the minister was showing a “lack of respect” for the role of opposition parties.
The BQ captain also pressed Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to stop a weeks-long blockage in the House. Government proceedings have been halted to deal with an unrelated privilege motion that the CPC continues to amend and debate.
Suggesting the CPC is “childish” for dragging out proceedings, Blanchet urged the party to end its filibuster to allow a motion that would trigger an election.
But who and when that motion would be tabled remains unclear. Blanchet warned that if the CPC does not clear the way for proceedings to continue, it would be proof the Conservatives are “working against their own intention” in triggering what Poilievre has frequently dubbed a “carbon tax election.”