Pressure on Trudeau | The PQ asked the Bloc to put immigration on the agenda

(Quebec) Paul St-Pierre Plamondon asked his sovereignist ally in Ottawa to put the issue of immigration on his agenda by October 29. Beyond this date, the Bloc Québécois threatens to bring down the Trudeau government if it does not obtain the desired gains.

Yves-François Blanchet toughened his tone on Wednesday by putting a deadline on his support for the liberal troops. The Bloc leader is demanding the adoption of his bills on improving Old Age Security pension funds and protecting supply management by October 29, otherwise he could help bring down the minority government of Justin Trudeau.

However, none of its conditions target immigration, despite repeated requests from the Legault government which demands that Ottawa cut in half the number of temporary immigrants to Quebec. The Parti Québécois also makes it a central issue, and promises to present a “drastic reduction” plan this fall.

“There is a deadline of October 29, watch carefully what will happen over the next few weeks. It is not said that the Bloc will not follow up on the request,” suggested Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, questioned about the Bloc strategy, Thursday.

Asked to clarify his statement, the PQ leader finally admitted to having “discussed” the issue with Mr. Blanchet, after Mr. Legault’s exit last week, so that he would place immigration on the agenda here. the deadline. “It goes without saying,” he clarified, adding that he “talks often” to Mr. Blanchet.

François Legault urged the Parti Québécois last Thursday to “be courageous” by asking its “brother party” to bring down the Trudeau government in which he no longer trusts to resolve immigration problems. Even today, the Prime Minister cannot explain why the Bloc Québécois is not making immigration a priority in its negotiations with the Liberals.

“Let’s get to the end of the reasoning,” continued Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon. “This morning, I officially ask the Prime Minister, François Legault, to have the courage to speak to his sidekick Pierre Poilievre, to ask him clearly: will you, yes or no, give us full powers in immigration? »

Justin Trudeau’s future has been uncertain since the NDP tore up its collaboration agreement that allowed the minority government to stay alive in the Commons.

Legault rectifies the situation

For a second consecutive day, François Legault defended himself from having supported Pierre Poilievre by asking the Bloc Québécois to bring down the Trudeau government. The conservative troops enjoy a large lead and would form a majority government if general elections were held today in the country, according to several polls.

“My only bias is for the Quebec nation, and I expect all federal parties to make commitments to reduce the number of temporary immigrants by half,” argued Mr. Legault. “There is no federal party that has made a commitment to halve the number of temporary immigrants. So, that’s what I’m asking them,” he said.

François Legault denies having gone too far in his resounding declarations last week. “I repeat the same thing,” he pleaded. And when he affirmed in the House that what Quebec “needs, in Ottawa, is an economic government,” he “was trying to make the connection with what the PQ was saying because the PQ is trying to find a way to “support Mr. Blanchet,” he explained Thursday.

Since his release, Mr. Legault has been the target of Québec solidaire, which accuses him of sticking to the Conservative Party of Canada, a party “one third of whose MPs campaign against the right to abortion”, which does not support the tram project in Quebec and who wants to build pipelines.