Political Survivor and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sees his minority Government in real danger of collapsing, as Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has come out today (30) vowing to work with opposition parties to bring down the Liberal government.
This development comes after Trudeau couldn’t approve a pension hike for seniors or protections for some farm sectors.
The block Quebecois had been keeping Trudeau in government after the NDP left the flimsy coalition.
Reuters reported:
“In return for backing Trudeau, the Bloc wanted more money for seniors and a promise to protect a system of tariffs and quotas that protect dairy farmers, many of whom live in Quebec. Blanchet said Trudeau had not acted in time.
‘We are negotiating with opposition parties in order to have the government fall’, he told reporters.
To succeed, Blanchet must win over the smaller left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), which has twice in the last five weeks backed Trudeau in confidence votes. The Bloc, which is the second largest of the four opposition parties, seeks independence for the province of Quebec.”
The NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, will address the press today.
After the NDP stopped backing the Liberals, the Quebecois started to support the Liberals on non-confidence votes on the condition that they approved two bills: one increasing Old Age Security payments for people between 65 and 74 and another bill exempting dairy, poultry, and eggs from future trade negotiations.
The deadline of Oct. 29 was given for both bills to be passed into law, so Blanchet is now trying to oust this minority government.
CBC reported:
“’Depending on what the NDP will do, we can say the government’s days are numbered’, Blanchet told reporters, referring to the possibility that the NDP could stand with the Liberals again to prevent an election.
‘The expiry date of this government has gone by and it’s up to the people of Quebec and Canada to compose a new Parliament’, Blanchet said in French. ‘The only agreement we need now is to send the Liberals to the showers’.”
The Quebecois are no longer negotiating with Trudeau. Instead, ‘we are negotiating with opposition parties in order to have the government fall’, he said.
“Asked about Blanchet’s threat to vote down the government, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said ‘the lines of communication are open. We think it’s important to continue to have an open door and an opportunity to talk’, she said.
Blanchet said that because the Liberals haven’t delivered on either proposal, ‘the government is in serious danger of falling. I’m ready for an election. I am absolutely ready to go to an election tomorrow’,” he said. ‘You could say we’re expecting that with enthusiasm’.”
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