The Bloc Québécois has set a high-stakes deadline for the Liberal government to pass two priority bills by Tuesday, warning of possible non-confidence measures if the demands are unmet. Blacklock's Reporter says Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet announced the ultimatum, which requires passage of Bill C-282 and Bill C-319, setting the 44th Parliament at a potential tipping point.The pressure intensified Thursday after Sen. Peter Boehm (Ont.), chair of the Senate committee reviewing Bill C-282, announced the bill will remain in committee, with the next witness hearings scheduled for October 31. “We will continue our study of Bill C-282 next week,” said Boehm, effectively pushing the bill beyond Blanchet’s Tuesday deadline. This bill seeks to protect Canada’s dairy, egg, and poultry quotas from being compromised in future trade negotiations — an approach that has garnered opposition from other agricultural sectors.Blanchet had previously cautioned the government on September 25 that if Bill C-282 was not law by the deadline, he would “initiate discussions with other opposition parties in order to bring down the government.” The Bloc is also pushing for the passage of Bill C-319, which would extend a 10% pension increase to seniors under 75, a benefit currently limited to those over 75.Bloc House Leader Alain Therrien reiterated the ultimatum in the Commons, warning that “the Liberals are risking an election” if the bills are not passed in time. “There will be plenty of non-confidence votes between now and Christmas,” Therrien added, urging the Liberals to act. “We should give them a chance, and by ‘them,’ we mean the Liberals.”The minority Liberal government currently holds 153 seats, with two Independent MPs who have previously voted with the Liberals, facing opposition coalitions that could shift power dynamics if non-confidence measures are pursued. Although NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has criticized the Liberals as “too weak, too selfish,” he has previously opposed calls for an election.With Parliament nearing a potential pivot, the Bloc’s demands set the stage for a tense standoff, adding urgency to what might be the 44th Parliament’s final legislative push.
