Now that the scenario of a formal agreement between the minority Liberal government and the NDP opposition has been ruled out, the Bloc Québécois is warning that it is essential for the future.
According to the Bloc leader, Yves-François Blanchet, any issue that affects Quebec will necessarily have to go through him and not through Jagmeet Singh.
“Now we can’t lose. And I insist on this again. If the government wants to advance issues that affect Quebec and that Quebec is rather happy, it is not the NDP that is the interlocutor, it is the Bloc Québécois. And if the government bypasses the Bloc Québécois to impose its policies, we have the right to assume that it is because they are not good for Quebec, ”argued Mr. Blanchet, at a press conference on Wednesday morning, day caucus meeting of his formation.
He continued his reasoning by asserting that, if the Liberals agree on an issue with the New Democratic Party (NDP), “we can assume that it is because it will not be that good for Quebec”.
He could then, he argued, “demonstrate” once again that “the Canadian system does not serve Quebec intrinsically”.
During this outing in front of journalists, Mr. Blanchet repeated the intention of the 32 Bloc members to be present in person in the Commons from November 22. The Bloc members are opposed to the return of the hybrid form introduced at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and which allowed elected officials to participate from afar and via screens in parliamentary proceedings.
“When we are told it is necessary to keep the hybrid formula, we are given bogus arguments”, launched Mr. Blanchet, who sees “evasions”, “pretexts not to move”, “excuses to soften accountability”, and even “a little laziness”.
To restore that form from day one would require a unanimous all-party motion. Otherwise, there will be motion, debate and vote; an exercise that will take a few days.
The Bloc parliamentary leader, Alain Therrien, did not seem ready on Wednesday to allow unanimity, if only for the day of November 22, when elected officials will choose a Speaker of the House.
If he remains camped on his position, a certain number of unvaccinated Conservative MPs, and therefore barred from access to parliamentary buildings, will not be able to participate in the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons.