Bloc Leader Blanchet pushes for January election call after Freeland resignation

By David Baxter, The Canadian Press on December 17, 2024.

The Canadian flag flies atop the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA – Bloc Québécois Leader YYves-François Blanchet says that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has lost the political, moral and ethical mandate to lead and should call an election in the new year.

This comes after the bombshell departure of Chrystia Freeland as finance minister, saying she has been at odds with Trudeau over the last few weeks and that the government should do away with costly “political gimmicks” amid tariff threats from president-elect Donald Trump.

Blanchet says there should be a new Parliament “as soon as possible” to deal with issues related to the incoming Trump administration.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is holding a news conference in Mississauga, Ont, today and a release from the party says Trudeau cannot be trusted to deal with the tariff threat.

The Tories are also calling on the House of Commons trade committee to study the tariff threat between Jan. 2 and 20, Trump’s inauguration date.

Blanchet says the election should happen as soon as possible in the new year because it’s “logical” for Canadians to not want a campaign over the holiday season.

The House of Commons is expected to rise for the holiday break today and return on January 27.

Yesterday, several Liberal MPs publicly called for Trudeau to step aside in the wake of Freeland’s resignation.

Ontario MP Chad Collins left an evening caucus meeting telling reporters the Liberal caucus is divided and that the party needs a leadership race.

Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the new finance minister Monday, minutes after the government’s fall economic statement was released.

The economic update shows the deficit has grown to nearly $62 billion, far beyond the $40-billion target Freeland set earlier this year.

The update includes $1.3 billion in new spending on measures to beef up the border in response to Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariff threats on Canadian goods.

LeBlanc, who is also in charge of intergovernmental affairs and democratic institutions, says his main priority as finance minister will be to address affordability issues.

He will also continue to oversee the public safety file, implementing new border measures, until Trudeau holds a broader cabinet shuffle. That’s expected to happen soon in order to replace ministers who have announced they won’t seek re-election.

When the House of Commons resumes, the Liberals may not be able to rely on the support of the NDP on confidence matters.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called for Trudeau’s resignation on Monday, but he stopped short of saying his caucus would vote to bring down the government. His party has so far voted three times with the Liberals on non-confidence motions this fall, ensuring the minority government’s survival.

Much of the fall sitting was dominated in the House of Commons by a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund. This has stalled most legislation in the House since late September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024.