Bloc Québécois still hopes to hold the balance of power in Ottawa
MONTREAL — A decimated Bloc Québécois still hopes to hold the balance of power in Ottawa, while the Liberal Party leads a minority government with strong representation in Quebec.
“In a complex and eventful evening, the weight of the Bloc Québécois delegation will be extraordinarily important in the composition of the next Parliament,” said Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet in a speech where he acknowledged his smaller team in Ottawa.
The Liberals won 43 seats in the province, while the Bloc won 23, the Conservatives 11 and the NDP 1.
At the Bloc’s election night party in Montreal, supporters had mixed feelings over the results. As they left the National, a downtown theatre, many believed their party would hold the balance of power in Ottawa, a first for the separatists.
“Should the Bloc decide in votes in the House of Commons that will be decisive for the future of Quebec and the future of Canada, there is no question of frivolous behaviour, there is no question of irresponsible behaviour,” Blanchet assured.
“We will be articulate, competent people, present on issues that will act in the interests of the common good. Canada must ensure that, on every issue that is asked, Quebec’s interests are respected,” he added. Blanchet said he would meet the press on Tuesday morning to react to the results.
The outcome of the federal election was still uncertain in the middle of the night, with results in many ridings too close to predict. For example, an outgoing Bloc member led by 28 votes over the Liberal candidate in Terrebonne, while there was only one box left to count.
The Liberals won or were leading in 167 ridings, the Conservatives 145, the Bloc 23, the NDP 7 and the Greens 1. The governing party needs 172 seats to form a majority, which means that support from the NDP may give Mark Carney’s government the strong mandate he was hoping for.
Federal election results map for Quebec
In his speech, Blanchet stated that the Bloc will “unquestionably impose the reality” that Quebec is a “French nation, secular and responsible in matters of successful immigration”.
“The French language and Quebec culture are at the heart of Canadian identity. They define the country I love so much, and I will defend them tirelessly,” said Liberal Leader Mark Carney in his acceptance speech.
Blanchet’s strong stance and ambition in the next legislature will be met with a strong Liberal delegation from the province. After all, the Liberals have a 20-seat edge over the Bloc, winning even in rural and francophone ridings. Even some Bloc heavyweights, such as Alain Therrien, the party’s House leader, lost their ridings.
This means the big red machine is back in Quebec. After suffering a setback just a few months ago following a surprise byelection in Montreal, where the Bloc won a miraculous victory, Mark Carney’s Liberals won a clear majority of seats in the province.
The Liberals needed a strong showing in the province if they wanted to be re-elected for a fourth term, and that’s exactly what they did, adding 11 seats to the 32 they held at the time of dissolution. This is the Liberals’ fourth consecutive victory in Quebec. They even improved on their 2015 results, when they won 40 seats to form a majority government.
The Bloc held 33 seats at the time of dissolution, after winning the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun seat in a historic by-election in September.
On Monday, Liberal candidate and former IBM executive Claude Guay recaptured the riding previously held by former Attorney General David Lametti and Prime Minister Paul Martin.
“With the strong team of Quebec MPs you have just sent to Ottawa, we will ensure that Quebec continues to prosper within a strong Canada,” Carney told supporters in Ottawa.
The Conservative Party had high hopes for the province while leading the polls.
Before the Liberals’ historic surge, the Conservatives were aiming for nearly 20 seats in the province.
They were on pace to win 11, securing their safest seats in the Quebec City region and improving their 2021 results by one riding.
The Conservatives were well positioned to unseat Bloc Québécois MP Caroline Desbiens in Montmorency–Charlevoix and win four of Quebec City’s seven ridings. The Bloc was about to lose its two seats, having lost Beauport–Limoilou to the Liberals.
Alexandre Boulerice of the NDP was re-elected for a fifth term in the Montreal riding of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and remains the province’s only orange representative.
National Post
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