Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet delivered a stinging critique of Canada on Friday, calling it “an artificial country with very little meaning” during a campaign stop in Shawinigan, Quebec. Blanchet made the remarks in English as he argued that only his party could truly defend Quebec’s interests in Ottawa.
Responding to a question about his previous statements referring to the House of Commons as a “foreign parliament,” Blanchet explained that he views Canada’s federal legislature as representing a nation that is not his own. “It’s a foreign parliament because this nation is not mine,” Blanchet said. “I don’t feel more at ease in the Canadian Parliament than Alberta Premier Danielle Smith would feel at ease in the National Assembly of Quebec.”
Despite this view, Blanchet emphasized that as long as Quebec remains part of Canada, the Bloc Québécois would fully exercise all rights, privileges, and opportunities afforded by voters, and would relinquish none. He underscored the importance of seeking the balance of power in Parliament to better protect Quebec’s autonomy and interests.
The comments come just days before Canadians head to the polls, with heightened tensions surrounding national sovereignty, especially following U.S. President Donald Trump’s provocative remarks questioning Canada’s independence. Recent polling shows the Liberals and Conservatives locked in a tight race, with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP battling for third place.
With support for both the Bloc and the NDP slipping as voters lean toward a majority government, tensions between third-party leaders have grown. On Friday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh dismissed the Bloc as a “useless party,” to which Blanchet responded bluntly. “I will let you deal with the uselessness of my party,” Blanchet said. “If I were Mr. Singh, I would do anything not to be compared with the Bloc Québécois at present time. So he may say whatever he wants. I don’t really care.”
As the campaign enters its final stretch, Blanchet’s unapologetic positioning highlights the enduring divide between Quebec nationalism and Canadian federalism at a pivotal moment for the country.