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Despite threatening to topple the Trudeau government, the Bloc Québécois has yet to initiate talks with the NDP amid repeated calls for an early election.

“As House leaders, we’re reaching out to all the parties every day, but I think there’s a difference between what they might be saying publicly and what they’re actually doing privately,” NDP House Leader Peter Julian told CTV News when asked if he has heard from the Bloc.

Leader Yves-François Blanchet said last week he would initiate discussions with other opposition parties should the Liberals not meet their demands.

Among their priorities include passing Bill C-319, An Act To Amend The Old Age Security Act, which aims to line up pensions for all seniors, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. They must also secure supply management provisions through another bill.

The Quebec-centric party also wants the province to have greater control over immigration, more health care funding and less encroachment of provincial jurisdiction.

Julian did not specify specific policies or commitments the NDP wants the Liberals to accept to maintain continued support on confidence matters. New Democrats earlier said that an election was likely, but not certain. 

The NDP House Leader said his party does not require a supply-and-confidence agreement to strong-arm the federal government.

The New Democrats pledged to support the government in confidence matters through June 2025 in exchange for a national pharmacare and dental plan. Cabinet reneged on the agreement last December 31.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a non-confidence vote last month by a margin of 211 to 120 on a warning it may be a short reprieve. The Conservative Party sponsored the motion. “This is a limited time offer,” said Bloc Québécois House Leader Alain Therrien at the time. 

The vote was the first since New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh on September 4 formally repudiated a 2022 Supply And Confidence Agreement with cabinet. 

Earlier last month, Singh said Trudeau was “too weak, too selfish” to work with. New Democrats still voted in support of them during the first of many expected non-confidence votes.

Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre earlier challenged New Democrats to dissolve Parliament on a Conservative confidence vote on September 16. “That way we can have a carbon tax election where Canadians will decide,” he said.

“The NDP was able to force the parliament at the time to put in place measures to help small businesses, to help families, help seniors, students, people with disabilities, and to put in place for workers paid sick leave for the first time in Canadian history,” Julian said. “Those are all very clear tangible results of the NDP proceeding, vote by vote.”

Julian argued Canadians appear to approve of Singh’s vote-by-vote approach.

“We are going to give them a chance to show us they can earn our confidence, or more precisely Québeckers’ confidence,” said Therrien. “Needless to say this is a limited time offer.”

The Bloc intends to “bring down the government” if meaningful progress is not made by October 29.

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