QUEBEC — Premier François Legault called on the Parti Québécois Thursday to pressure its federal cousins in the Bloc Québécois to bring down the Trudeau government.
Stopping on his way into question period at the National Assembly, Legault said he has been trying for six months to get the Trudeau government to budge on the issue of temporary immigrants entering Quebec, which he said is “weakening” Quebec.
“To date, the only actions taken by (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau are not significant,” an irritated Legault said. “We are still at a level of 600,000 temporary immigrants.”
Yet the leader of the Bloc, Yves-François Blanchet, said Wednesday he will continue propping up the government, which is in a minority position, an irritated Legault said.
“I ask (Paul) St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the PQ, to have the courage today to ask his comrade in the Bloc Québécois to back off, to not support the Trudeau government next week and to defend the interests of Quebecers and the Quebec nation.
“What is happening is important. Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon has the duty to stand up, to show courage and question Yves-François Blanchet.”
The government will take a step further to pressure the PQ.
The Minister of Canadian Relations, Jean-François Roberge, announced plans to table a motion in the legislature designed to embarrass the four PQ MNAs. It states “Quebec MPs sitting in the House of Commons should not accord their confidence to a federal government if it does not respect Quebec’s jurisdictions.”
On his way into question period, Roberge said the Bloc’s decision to keep supporting the Liberals was premature because it has not obtained any guarantees the Trudeau government will deliver the goods on Quebec’s needs.
“What we really want to do is remind all Quebec politicians who sit in Ottawa cannot continue to keep in power a government which does not respect Quebec’s jurisidictions,” Roberge told reporters.
St-Pierre Plamondon plans to react later Thursday to the challenge from Legault.
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