Back to school: Bloc members eager to fight Carney government

With Carney’s first budget to be presented in the fall and a new major projects bill raising eyebrows among many, Bloc Québécois MNAs say they are ready to do battle with the Liberals and take a stronger role in the ongoing trade war with the United States.

Bloc Québécois MNAs will meet Monday and Tuesday in Quebec City to prepare for the Sept. 15 parliamentary session. This is the first fall session since the April election that resulted in the election of a minority Liberal government.

The Liberals have eroded some of the Bloc Québécois’ support, which a party source attributes in part to the Canada-U.S. trade dispute, which favors Mark Carney’s Liberal Party.

“(The trade war) is not a reason to overwhelm Quebec and to ignore the interests of Quebec and the provinces in the process,” said Bloc Québécois House Leader Christine Normandin in an interview late last week.

“When there’s an issue like the current trade crisis, it becomes an opportunity for the federal government to regain control of a bundle of powers (…) That’s where we come in.”

Normandin mentioned Bill C-5, passed under a gag order last summer, which aims to accelerate the implementation of major projects deemed to be of national interest.

This piece of legislation allows federal ministers to designate projects as being of national interest. By obtaining this designation, projects can be implemented without having to comply with multiple laws, including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

“The Bloc Québécois ultimately presents itself as the only party in the House of Commons that truly cares about the fight against climate change and environmental protection,” she emphasized, denouncing the Conservatives’ support for the Liberals’ bill.

Although the Bloc Québécois is fewer in number in the House—there are 22 instead of 33 before the election—morale remains fairly high, according to a party source, as the numbers suggest a return to “normal” and activists are encouraged by a certain resurgence of the sovereignist option.

It is also suggested that Canadians will be less concerned this session about the Canada-United States relationship and possibly more about other issues, including the cost of living.

Power in Committees

Bloc House Leader Normandin declined to reveal the party’s specific priorities, but she emphasized that it will introduce bills and take advantage of its balance of power in parliamentary committees.

“That makes us positive for the future,” she explained. “We’ll really be able to test all the power we have in the House, how we can use that balance of power to improve what we can improve, and negotiate with both parties to get our ideas across.”

Normandin emphasized that her party will negotiate each vote individually and will not “tie its hands” as the New Democratic Party (NDP) did in its agreement with the Liberals.

“We’re maintaining our same modus operandi, which has always served us well, and which serves our constituents and Quebec,” she said. If it’s good for Quebec, we vote for it; if it’s bad for Quebec, we vote against it.”

Support for the Parti Québécois

While the tectonic plates are shifting significantly in Quebec politics, the Bloc Québécois also intends to be more present on the ground to lend a hand to its sister party, the Parti Québécois.

Tensions have been palpable in recent months between Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet and his PQ counterpart Paul St-Pierre-Plamondon, but the Bloc Québécois is assured that its teams will be on the ground to help the PQ in preparation for the 2026 Quebec elections.

“We’ve already done it in the three by-elections that have taken place. We were present,” Normandin said in an interview.

“We remain the same activists in both parties. It is certain that you will see the Bloc Québécois on the ground to help the Parti Québécois next fall.”

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews