
Bloc leader criticized by Parti Québécois as he promises to work with other parties
MONTREAL — Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet on Tuesday called for a “partisan truce” with other federal party leaders, even as he was accused by the Bloc’s provincial cousins of putting the sovereignty question aside.
One day after the federal election, which saw the Bloc’s seats reduced considerably, Blanchet told reporters in Montreal that voters want stability in Parliament in order to address the trade war with the United States. He offered to put partisanry aside for a time — as long as the other leaders do the same.
“We will collaborate with them, and they will collaborate with us for the period of the negotiation (with the U.S.),” he said. “It’s the result, it’s the ask of citizens that there is a kind of alliance between the different parties, the different political orientations.”
His comments came shortly before Elections Canada completed the final election tally, with the Bloc Québécois winning 22 seats, less than the 33 it held in the last Parliament. On Tuesday afternoon, the party suffered a blow when the riding of Terrebonne — where the Bloc had been leading by a handful of votes — flipped to the Liberals by 35 votes.