Thus, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, is exasperated to see his immigration requests repeatedly ignored by Justin Trudeau’s government. The stubbornness of the federal Liberals in recognizing Quebec’s efforts in terms of reception while receiving Quebec’s requests with the greatest indifference is indeed astonishing.
But Mr. Legault has the wrong opponent by targeting the Bloc Québécois and accusing it in turn of failing in its role as Quebec’s bulwark against Ottawa.
Entangled in a war of numbers with the Trudeau government, that of François Legault is stalling. The more the talks drag on behind the scenes and escalate in public, the more the tone rises among the Prime Minister and his CAQ ministers. That the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, accused him this week of doing “nothing” other than “begging the federal government for shot” was too much.
Visibly stung, Mr. Legault chose to respond by slandering his federal independence partner. “What is the purpose of the Bloc Québécois in Ottawa? » he returned, repeating his insult three times rather than once.
The leader of the Bloc, Yves-François Blanchet, was probably right in considering himself to be only a collateral victim of a dispute between the Prime Minister and his main rival having dethroned him in the polls. But beyond his own electoral objective – to finally slow down this momentum of the PQ – François Legault should not lose sight of the interests of the Quebec nation as a whole. However, on the federal scene, who is defending them if not the Bloc Québécois?
The centralizing federalism of the Trudeau government no longer needs to be demonstrated. No more than the deaf ear he reserves for Quebec’s requests in immigration, but also in health. What can we say about the New Democratic Party, other than that it is happily encroaching on Quebec’s areas of jurisdiction, with its liberal alliance partner, by imposing dental care insurance programs and, soon, drug insurance?
Does François Legault really judge Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party of Canada to be more in tune with the values and demands of Quebec? And willing to respect them? Supporters of a smaller role for the state, conservatives are certainly traditionally less interventionist. But for the rest, Pierre Poilievre’s political vision – or at least what he has revealed of it so far – does not particularly fit with Quebec sensibilities.
A Poilievre government, if elected, would also intervene in the Supreme Court to challenge the Quebec State Secularism Act (Bill 21). The Conservative leader is opposed to the expansion of medical assistance in dying (he has not commented on advance requests authorized by Quebec, but not by Ottawa’s Criminal Code). He promised to repeal the Liberal law that banned military-style assault weapons and to freeze the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns (called for by the Quebec mosque and PolySeSouvient). He is opposed to carbon pricing and has no serious environmental plan (even though it is in Quebec that the fight against climate change has risen to the highest priority). He promises not to pass legislation on abortion, but would allow the third of members of his caucus who oppose it to introduce their own bills. In the immigration file, Mr. Poilievre did not specify what his reception threshold would be. And even less if he intends to reimburse, for his part, the expenses incurred by Quebec.
If François Legault thinks again of offering his support to the PCC, as he did during the 2021 federal election, he should think twice. Because only 20% of CAQ voters agree with this brand, compared to nearly a third who vote for the Bloc and 42% for the federal Liberal Party. recalls pollster Jean-Marc Léger.
Moreover, if there is one issue for which the Bloc Québécois has relayed the consensus of the National Assembly, it is immigration. Since the last election, the Bloc have questioned the Trudeau government 90 times on Roxham Road during question periods; the Conservative Party, 17. As for the reception of asylum seekers: 81 questions from the Bloc and 5 from the Conservatives. (The two categories have some overlap.) If the CAQ government comes up against a liberal wall in Ottawa, it is not for lack of efforts by the Bloc Québécois.
The proximity and friendship of Yves-François Blanchet and Paul St-Pierre Plamondon are beginning to irritate François Legault, so be it. But in wanting to slow down the exodus of sovereignist sympathizers towards the PQ, the CAQ leader seems to forget that his autonomy cannot be confined to the borders of the Ottawa River if he wants to achieve tangible results.
Whether it likes it or not, on the Ontario side, the Bloc Québécois remains a necessary ally. Pretending otherwise only serves the federalist parties.