Byelection win: Bloc Québécois to squeeze Liberals for gains, not trigger election

MONTREAL — The Bloc Québécois leader, basking in the glow of a tight byelection win in Montreal, said Tuesday he’s in no rush to trigger a federal election and will instead stick with his game plan: extracting gains from the minority Liberal government in exchange for support.

Yves-François Blanchet was all smiles after his party’s stunning byelection victory — confirmed in the early hours of Tuesday — in the former Liberal stronghold of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, in Montreal’s southwest.

“Not two months ago, all the analysts would have said it was impossible,” Blanchet said, crediting the hard work of his newest MP, Louis-Philippe Sauvé, for the win. “I wasn’t as surprised as I was happy, we knew this could happen because … the NDP leader provided us with momentum at the end of this campaign when he decided to ask for a divorce between him and Mr. (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau.”

Blanchet said the NDP’s decision to end its agreement with the Liberals that had propped up the minority government gave his party the push it needed to win the riding by just 248 votes. The so-called support-and-confidence deal was supposed to last until 2025, and it allowed Trudeau to govern as though he had a majority.

The Bloc has said the Liberals now find themselves in true minority territory and will have to wheel and deal to ensure the government doesn’t fall in a confidence vote.

Blanchet, meanwhile, said he doesn’t intend to be the one who triggers a general election — as long as he gets something out of it.

“I believe that the Liberals and the NDP are now mutually toxic, they do not help each other, but they keep each other alive for a short time, but they lose their reason to be,” Blanchet said.

“When you pull the pin on a grenade, sooner or later it’s going to explode,” Blanchet added, referring to the possibility of an election, made more likely by the decision by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to end the supply-and-confidence agreement.

“The NDP pulled the pin on a grenade two weeks ago, and sooner or later it’s going to explode, and it could, it could, be in the next few weeks.”

What could prolong the minority government, Blanchet said, is the Liberals’ potential willingness to make deals.

With the Bloc victory, the party has 33 seats that when coupled with the Liberals’ 154 seats create a majority in Parliament. Ultimately, Blanchet said, it’s not his job to replace Trudeau with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, but to get something tangible for Quebecers.

Blanchet said that among his top demands is more money for seniors aged 65 to 74, to bring their pensions at the same level as those 75 and older. On Tuesday, he also mentioned other priorities such as preserving the French language and more powers in immigration for Quebec.

The newest Bloc MP is expected in Ottawa on Wednesday and said he would focus on issues he raised during the campaign, including housing, homelessness, stronger old age pension benefits, integrating newcomers and Quebec’s independence.

“I’ll be a member of Parliament for every citizen of this riding,” Sauvé said. “I will work for those who voted for me and those who voted against me alike, that’s what representing people is about.”

Sauvé won with 28 per cent of the vote, holding off the Liberal candidate Laura Palestini and the NDP’s Craig Sauvé in a tight race.

In a statement, Palestini thanked volunteers and supporters and said she was proud of the connections and conversations she made. She garnered 27.2 per cent of the vote to finish second, with the NDP’s Sauvé coming in third with 26.1 per cent.

“Elections can be fiercely competitive and I recognize the dedication and hard work it takes to earn the trust of the voters,” Palestini wrote on X.

Blanchet said the victory — which gives the Bloc its second seat on the Island of Montreal — demonstrates that voters have options outside of the Liberals, giving his party a “bridge” to other Liberal-held ridings.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press