Bloc head Blanchet says ‘no future for oil and gas’ in Quebec — and ‘probably everywhere’

So much for national unity.

Barely 48 hours after suffering its worst electoral setback since the 2015 election, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet was repeating his vociferous opposition to Alberta’s oil and gas, and threatening unspecified “weapons” to ensure pipelines don’t cross its boundaries.

Speaking at a post election press conference on Tuesday, Blanchet said voters gave him a mandate to continue “protecting French language and secularity of the state in Quebec… and the fact that there's no future for oil and gas, at least in Quebec and probably everywhere. And this has to be said and protected. 

The irony, of course, is that Alberta’s energy sector contributed almost $13.6 billion in equalization payments to Quebec in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The other irony is that the Bloc lost nearly a third of its seats in Monday’s election, from 35 to an unofficial total of 23 as per the latest vote counts, the lowest since 2015. Blanchet handily won his seat in the riding of Beloeil-Chambly.

Ironically, the Bloc managed to maintain its hold in Quebec by softening its sovereigntist rhetoric and pitching itself as a “partner” to the eventual winner, Mark Carney.

During his concession speech Monday night, Blanchet said such a partnership with his party would make the country stronger in future trade negotiations with the US.

“I have a brand new weapon to do that,” he added for good measure — without specifying exactly what that was.

The irony is that the separatist leader praised Prime Minister Mark Carney for his overtures to Quebec and specifically his pledge to stand up to US president Donald Trump amid his one-man trade war.

“So Mr. Carney and myself are really on the same wavelength in terms of the economy. We're also in agreement, Mr. Carney and myself that it's urgent at this time to reduce the huge gap in productivity between Canada and the United States. So the top priority both in Ottawa and Quebec has to be wealth creation.”

"We will be articulate, competent people … and act in the interests of the common good," Blanchet said.

As long as it doesn’t include pipelines. Blanchet made clear through the campaign that while he supports reducing interprovincial trade barriers, that doesn’t extend to Alberta’s — and Canada’s — largest export, namely energy.

“Does Mark Carney owe a debt of gratitude to Quebec because he's been given possibly a majority? Does he owe Quebec for that?” he asked.

“Well, I think Mark Carney had very good support in Quebec… and a lot of Quebecers voted on the basis of the economy. As I just said, his vision of the economic future is very similar to my own, and I'm really looking forward to our ability to announce economic projects in Quebec, and I think that would really be the best way for Mr. Carney to say thank you to Quebecers.”

But apparently not Albertans. C’est la vie.