Sean Kilpatrick The Canadian Press The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, during question period in the House of Commons, Wednesday afternoon
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, refused to say whether a Quebec-country would be viable, after having been invited to do so at more than once by the Bloc Québécois.
“Quebecers are a proud people of a proud nation ready to build a better future, but they know very well that this future is best placed within Canada,” he declared in the House of Commons Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Trudeau said he was “blown away” that the Bloc Québécois is still looking for “squabbles between the federal and provincial governments” more than 32 years after its formation — and 28 years after the last referendum on Quebec independence. /p>
The Bloc leader, Yves-François Blanchet, then worked to pull the worms out of the Prime Minister's nose. “Regardless of his personal preference, does the Prime Minister recognize Quebec's ability to succeed economically as an independent country? » he asked, not without recalling the motion adopted by the National Assembly on Tuesday.
By means of the latter, Quebec deputies unanimously emphasized “that the vitality of the Quebec economy allows the financial viability of an independent State of Quebec.”
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“I don’t ask him if he knows how to count. I wonder if he agrees with the statement that Quebec is capable of being an economically sovereign country. That’s all,” said Mr. Blanchet, after getting up.
In response, the head of the Canadian government was pleased to have announced arm in arm with his Quebec counterpart, François Legault, investments in key projects in Quebec, such as the Réseau express métropolitain, in Montreal, the Northvolt battery plant in Montérégie or the upgrade of the installations at the Davie shipyard in Lévis. “We will continue to work hand in hand with Quebecers to build a prosperous future for all,” he promised.
Despite several attempts, Mr. Blanchet failed to obtain an answer to his question.
Justin Trudeau had nevertheless warned him through the media that he would not fall into the trap set by the Bloc. “My relationship is with the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault. I don't want to start debating the Parti Québécois' attempts to maintain a certain relevance,” he told reporters gathered at the entrance to the House of Commons.
On Tuesday, Pierre Poilievre had criticized to the Prime Minister to keep the independence project alive with his liberal economic policy. “This is something that the [Québécois] Party would never have dared to do during the Conservative years because taxes, debts, taxes and inflation were low and growth was strong,” declared the Conservative leader .
“Is there anything Poilievre hasn't blamed on me these days? We’re starting to get used to it,” Mr. Trudeau retorted on Wednesday.