No talks with Bloc about bringing government down: NDP House leader

NDP House Leader Peter Julian says the Bloc Québécois has not initiated conversations with his party to potentially bring down the minority Trudeau government, as Leader Yves-François Blanchet has threatened.

“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,” Julian told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in an interview airing Sunday, when asked whether the Bloc has already started those talks.

Following the vote on a non-binding Bloc motion this week, Blanchet said he would start those discussions with the other opposition parties “as rapidly as next week” if the Liberals don’t capitulate to his ultimatum. The motion passed, but most Liberal MPs voted against it.

Blanchet’s line in the sand is seeing both Bills C-319 and C-282 — intended to boost Old Age Security (OAS) and protect supply management in future trade talks, respectively — become law by Oct. 29, or his party will start negotiating with the Conservatives and NDP to topple the government.

But so far, Julian said, they haven’t been approached by the Bloc.

It’s been a month since the NDP ended its longstanding supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals, destabilizing the dynamics in the House of Commons. While the Bloc seized on the opportunity to issue an ultimatum deadline that Blanchet says is immovable, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has maintained his party will make voting choices on a case-by-case basis.

When asked whether there are any specific policies or promises on which the NDP wants to see the Liberals acquiesce in order to maintain support on matters of confidence, Julian said his party was already able to “force” the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, before the supply-and-confidence agreement was even signed. He cited pandemic-era supports for small business, seniors and people with disabilities, as examples.

“Those were all very clear, tangible results of the NDP proceeding vote by vote,” Julian said.

He also pointed to the NDP’s recent polling boost as a sign Canadians appreciate the work his party is doing, and that its message is resonating with voters.

New numbers from Abacus Data this week show that outside of Quebec, the NDP has surpassed the Liberals in voter intention. And data numbers from Nanos Research have the Liberals and NDP statistically tied for the first time since 2015. Both polling firms have the Conservatives more than 20 points ahead of the Liberals and NDP nationwide.

But when pressed on the NDP fundraising and cash-on-hand numbers compared to the Liberals and the Conservatives, and whether comparatively underwhelming coffers could be a factor in his party wanting to avoid an election before the new year, Julian said “fortunately” there are spending limits in place during an election period, so it’s a “level playing field.”

“And the NDP will be very competitive with the other two parties and the next election campaign,” he insisted.

Julian added, when asked, that the NDP is ready for an election “at any time.”

“My signs are ready to go at any time, and in a minority Parliament, that’s what all members of Parliament should be thinking,” he said.

With files from CTV News National Correspondent Rachel Aiello