OTTAWA — The Bloc Québécois has drawn its line in the sand. If the Liberals don’t pass two of its private member’s bills to increase support for seniors and protect supply management by Oct. 29, it says it will actively work to bring down the government.
“If it’s not passed, we’re going to talk to the other opposition (parties) with a view to bringing down the government,” Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet said at a news conference on Parliament Hill Wednesday.
“This is the demand in its entirety, irrevocably and non-negotiably,” Blanchet said, saying he will not support the government if it only meets one of his demands.
The Bloc was the first to announce last week that it would not support the Conservatives’ pending non-confidence motion in the House of Commons. MPs are set to vote on the motion after question period on Wednesday. The NDP has also said it won’t support the motion. A no-confidence vote would need support from all three opposition parties to succeed.
Blanchet argued that Oct. 29 is a reasonable timeline to achieve his party’s goals, but to also allow Canadians to vote in a federal election before the holiday season.
“What we’re proposing is good for seniors in Quebec, but also for seniors in Canada. It’s good for poultry producers in Quebec, but also for poultry producers in Canada. It’s good for everyone,” Blanchet said.
The Bloc’s first private member’s bill seeks to increase pensions for seniors aged 65 to 74 by 10 per cent. The independent Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the proposal could cost $16 billion over five years.
Bill C-282, intended to prevent federal governments in the future from negotiating adjustments to Canada’s dairy and poultry supply-management quota system in trade deals, has already passed the House and is awaiting review in the Senate.
More to come…
National Post
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