Liberals and Conservatives will fuel Quebec's appetite for independence, says Bloc

OTTAWA — If Preston Manning believes a Liberal government would lead to a rise of separatism in Western Canada, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet thinks both the Liberals and the Conservatives will revive separatist fervour in Quebec. He held a press conference outside the Supreme Court of Canada Tuesday, where about two dozen separatists gathered to welcome him and the Bloc campaign. Blanchet was asked what kind of impact former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s involvement could have on this election . “He should come in Quebec, he would help us!” said Blanchet, with a smile. As his party struggles to narrow the gap with the Liberals in Quebec, Blanchet wouldn’t say no to some help from the prime minister, even though he was the Canadian leader who recognized Quebec as a nation in federal legislation. Yet, Harper was so unpopular in Quebec that, before becoming Liberal Leader, Justin Trudeau once said that if he believed Canada was “really Stephen Harper’s Canada,” that he “would think about wanting to make Quebec a country.” However, with support for independence in the basement at 29 per cent , down from 37 per cent in November, the Bloc believes that the “Trump effect” and the spectacular rise of Canadian patriotism, even in Quebec, will fade . “I think that any government that is Canadian, when it is revealed and unmasked, fuels the idea of Quebec independence,” Blanchet said. The separatist leader is “convinced” that once Canada has renegotiated its trade agreement with the United States, Quebecers will then be able to have a conversation among themselves about separatism “in a very free and open manner.” “The decision on Quebec’s sovereignty will not belong to any federal leader, whoever they may be. Then, we will be able to respond to anyone, whoever they may be,” added Blanchet. The Parti Québécois, the provincial party which is leading the polls in Quebec, is promising a referendum on independence during its first term. Quebec voters will elect a new provincial government in 2026. Recently, péquiste leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon stated he would not schedule a referendum if Canada were amid in a trade war with the United States. Yet, Quebec independence doesn’t seem to be gaining much traction in this federal election, as Quebecers are particularly concerned about Canada-U.S. relations, which gives the Liberals overwhelming support in the province. The Liberals’ rise in the polls has prompted former Reform Party leader and conservative movement icon Preston Manning to point out that another Liberal victory could spark a sense of alienation in Western Canada. “Voters, particularly in central and Atlantic Canada, need to recognize that a vote for the Carney Liberals is a vote for Western secession — a vote for the breakup of Canada as we know it,” he wrote in an op-ed for The Globe and Mail. When asked whether he agreed with Manning’s statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre replied said no . “We need to unite the country,” he said. “We need to bring all Canadians together in a spirit of common ground.” National Post atrepanier@postmedia.com Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here.