Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Wednesday his party will vote against a Conservative non-confidence motion due to be tabled next week — giving the Liberal government enough votes to stay in power and avoid an imminent election.
“Will the Bloc vote in favour of the Conservative motion next week? The answer is no,” Blanchet said in French.
“Do we want replace Justin Trudeau with Pierre Poilievre? The answer is no.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier Wednesday he would table a motion next week to force MPs to vote either for or against keeping Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government in office.
Riding high in the polls, the Conservatives are dead set on going to an election as soon as possible to capitalize on their current popularity.
Poilievre said the country urgently needs a “carbon tax election” and he pressured NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to join the Conservatives in triggering an election.
But Singh’s position on the non-confidence motion is moot now that Blanchet has ruled out supporting it.
Under Canada’s Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, the prime minister and his government must enjoy the confidence of a majority of MPs to remain in office.
If the Liberal government wants to win those votes, Trudeau and his cabinet must convince one of the major opposition parties to vote its way.
The Liberals hold 154 of the 338 seats in Parliament.
To get to a majority of 169 MPs without Conservative support, the Liberals need either the NDP (25 MPs) or the Bloc Québécois (33 MPs).
Blanchet had previously said he would keep the Liberals in power in exchange for some policy concessions.