MAIS, NON: Legault blasts Bloc for supporting Liberals; accused of ‘standing with Conservatives from Alberta’

Quebec’s provincial government is zigging while the Bloc Québécois is zagging in its bid to prop up the Liberals in a non-confidence vote next week.And it’s leading to some heavy infighting among the partisans.Quebec Premier François Legault on Thursday chastised the Bloc’s decision to support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority government in a non-confidence motion that is expected next week. In a statement in the National Assembly Legault said the government ought to be brought down on the issue of immigration, citing a doubling of temporary residents in the past two years to 600,000 from 300,000 in 2022.Although it was aimed at the Bloc, Legault appeared to be targeting the rival Parti Québécois in the MNA. “Yesterday, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, the sister party of the Parti Québécois, announced that he will support the Trudeau government in next week's non-confidence motion," Legault said.“I am asking Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, the leader of the Parti Québécois, to show some courage today and to ask his friend at the Bloc Québécois to change his mind, to not support the Trudeau government next week and to defend the interests of Quebecers and the Quebec nation.”.For his part, PQ leader St-Pierre Plamondon accused Legault of pandering to Alberta."If the premier's plan is to stand next the Conservatives from Alberta, then I'm going to stand next to the Bloc Québécois and everyone who is loyal to Quebec's interests."But Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet flatly rejected Legault’s plea."The answer remains no," he posted to Twitter (“X”), in reference to Legault's plea to vote against the federal Liberal government. Blanchet said he was "neither a Conservative, nor a Liberal nor a caquiste," — a derogatory French term to describe Coalition Avenir Québec supporters. "I am the leader of the Bloc Québécois. I serve Quebecers, not the Liberals, based on my own judgment."He also noted that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s motion doesn’t directly reference immigration.“I am happily assuming that if and when the Bloc will bring down the Liberals, Mr. Legault will support the Bloc Québécois.”Observers said the Bloc wants to make hay while the sun is shining to wring concessions from the government after stealing a long-time Liberal seat in Montreal this week.

MAIS, NON: Legault blasts Bloc for supporting Liberals; accused of ‘standing with Conservatives from Alberta’

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