Legault wants Bloc to help trigger election, vote against Trudeau Liberals in non-confidence motion
Legault says PQ needs to 'show some courage' and ask Bloc to change its mind about supporting Liberals
Quebec Premier François Legault seems to favor holding a federal election sooner rather than later.
In a brief statement to reporters at the National Assembly on Thursday, Legault voiced his opposition to the Bloc Québécois's decision to support Justin Trudeau's Liberal minority government in the upcoming non-confidence motion expected next week.
Legault has been advocating for a reduction in the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec, which has surged from 300,000 to approximately 600,000 over the past two years. He criticized Trudeau’s government for offering only "insignificant" measures to address this issue.
While Legault did not directly urge Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet to oppose Trudeau’s government, he did call on Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to persuade Blanchet to reconsider.
"Yesterday, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, the sister party of the Parti Québécois, announced that he will support the Trudeau government in next week's non-confidence motion," Legault stated. "I am asking Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, the leader of the Parti Québécois, to show some courage today and to ask his friend at the Bloc Québécois to change his mind, to not support the Trudeau government next week and to defend the interests of Quebecers and the Quebec nation."
Legault then departed without answering questions about whether he believed Quebec would be better served by Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives.
Blanchet quickly responded on social media, rejecting Legault's plea. "The answer remains no," he posted on X, referring to Legault’s request to oppose the Liberal government.
Blanchet emphasized that he is "neither a Conservative, nor a Liberal nor a caquiste," with "caquiste" being a term for supporters of Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec party. "I am the leader of the Bloc Québécois. I serve Quebecers, not the Liberals, based on my own judgment."
Blanchet also noted that the Conservative party’s motion does not address the immigration issues Legault raised.
"I am happily assuming that if and when the Bloc will bring down the Liberals, Mr. Legault will support the Bloc Québécois," Blanchet added.
The Bloc Québécois recently secured a victory in the federal byelection for the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun riding in Montreal, marking a significant setback for the federal Liberals whose popularity continues to decline. After his candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé’s victory, Blanchet suggested that while the Liberal government's days may be numbered, his party will aim to push for important issues rather than hastening the government's fall.
"We want to advance important issues for Quebec; we have a golden opportunity right now," Blanchet said.
He also indicated that it would be irresponsible not to attempt to get the Liberals to meet some of the Bloc's demands before the next election. St-Pierre Plamondon, the PQ leader, is expected to address reporters later on Thursday regarding Legault’s remarks.
