Bloc Québécois says it will end House of Commons stalemate if Liberals meet demands

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says he’s willing to end the stalemate in the House of Commons and get the government’s business back on track if the Liberals make progress on the Bloc’s demands.

The Commons has been at a standstill since Sept. 26 as Conservative MPs continue standing to speak to a Conservative motion that MPs must deal with before moving on to other business. The Liberals have accused the opposition of filibustering.

Conservative MPs are pressing the Liberals to turn over documents related to Sustainable Development Technology Canada, the federal agency that was shut down in June after the auditor general raised serious concerns about its management.

The Liberals, however, argue the House of Commons should not be providing documents to the RCMP for an investigation, and that doing so could breach the Charter right to due process.

The debate entered its 13th sitting day on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Blanchet said he would support a closure motion on the Conservatives’ debate — effectively ending it — if the Liberals move quickly on the Bloc’s demands.

Blanchet reminded the Liberals of the Oct. 29 deadline he set for them to either support the Bloc’s demands — a bill increasing pensions for some seniors and a bill protecting supply-managed farm sectors from trade concessions — or risk the Bloc negotiating with other parties to bring down the government. The Bloc would need the support of both the Conservatives and the NDP to pull off such a move.

‘A rude awakening’

“I invite the government, which is being eaten from the outside and from within, to at least focus a little on managing the state of affairs. Because I have the impression that there is no more government,” Blanchet said in French.

“We are still trying to make sure that something concrete and constructive happens in the House of Commons. So I invite them to a rude awakening, and especially to have no doubt on what our behaviour will be like at the deadline.”

Blanchet also questioned the priorities of the government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, suggesting that the Bloc’s demands aren’t top of mind.

“It’s none of my business. But the prime minister gets off a plane from Asia and he’s in a position where he has to ask himself questions on his resignation, on prorogation, on going to an election, on giving the Bloc what we’re asking, [and] trying to make peace inside his own caucus,” Blanchet said in French.

“He’s in a situation where, I’m not sure how he manages to overcome the kind of overload that brings. And so in that context, I can’t not remind the government that the clock is ticking.”

The Bloc’s bill for seniors, Bill C-319, received unanimous support at the committee stage but awaits third reading. 

But while the bill had support from all parties at committee, it may not become law even if it passes third reading in the House of Commons.

Because it’s a proposal to increase government spending — by about $3 billion a year — it needs a royal recommendation. That means a cabinet minister would have to approve it. Without that approval, the bill is inadmissible and would go nowhere after passing through the House.

Blanchet put forward a nonbinding motion on Oct. 1 calling on the government to support the bill. The motion ultimately passed with the support of the Conservatives, NDP, Greens and five Liberal backbenchers. Most Liberal MPs voted against it.

The Bloc’s supply management bill, meanwhile, has been before the Senate for more than a year.

On Tuesday, Blanchet suggested the government could reintroduce both bills as its own and push them through the House quickly by limiting debate on them. The party also said making the bills government legislation would give them priority in the Senate.

“We expressed this possibility. [Bloc House leader] Alain [Therrien] did to the Liberal House leader [Karina Gould], and so did I,” Blanchet said in French.

“I gather that a first step, which would seem necessary, would be to get the wording of the bills and what would be the bills in question, even though they’re basically ours and were done by the same people and same team of legislators. I haven’t yet received anything.”

Gould was unavailable for comment on Tuesday evening. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the government is having conversations with Bloc and NDP, but didn’t say whether the Liberals would support the Bloc’s proposal.

“By disposing of the Conservative blockade in the House of Commons, this is all still doable,” Blanchet said in French.

“But on the condition that we see something on paper in the next hours. Because it’s going to be dangerously tight to get it done [before the deadline].”