Bloc Québécois says it won’t back Poilievre’s non-confidence motion, making early election unlikely

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Wednesday his party will vote against a Conservative non-confidence motion due to be tabled next week — giving the Liberal government enough votes to stay in power and avoid an imminent election.

“Will the Bloc vote in favour of the Conservative motion next week? The answer is no,” Blanchet said in French.

“The motion contains absolutely nothing. It essentially says: Do you want to replace Justin Trudeau with Pierre Poilievre? The answer is no,” he said.

Blanchet said the Bloc is “at the service of Quebecers,” not Conservatives.

“I’m not a Conservative. Conservative values are not Quebec values,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier Wednesday he would table a motion next week to force MPs to vote either for or against keeping Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government in office.

Riding high in the polls, the Conservatives are dead set on going to an election as soon as possible to capitalize on their current popularity.

Poilievre said the country urgently needs a “carbon tax election” and he pressured NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to join the Conservatives in triggering an election.

NDP coy about non-confidence votes

But Singh’s position on the non-confidence motion is moot now that Blanchet has ruled out supporting it.

The NDP has been coy about its intentions on this and future non-confidence votes.

Singh said Tuesday the Liberals are “finished” and he told his caucus today that the Liberals and Trudeau “don’t deserve another chance.”

But Singh hasn’t committed to bringing down the government at the earliest opportunity.

Asked Wednesday how the NDP will vote next week, a spokesperson told CBC News: “We did not announce our position on this today.”

Speaking to La Presse, a Montreal newspaper, the party’s Quebec lieutenant Alexandre Boulerice said in French the party “still…