The Trudeau government will oppose the Bloc Québécois motion concerning the increase in the Old Age Security pension, a decision which could lead the Bloc Québécois to want to bring down the Liberals more quickly.
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The government’s parliamentary leader, Karina Gould, confirmed the position of the ministers’ cabinet, a few hours before the vote on Wednesday. MPs who are not members of the cabinet will, however, have the choice to vote as they wish.
Ms. Gould justified the position of the government’s executive by saying that such a vote on a motion raised problems with parliamentary procedure.
But his colleague François-Philippe Champagne gave another speech in the morning. Like a handful of other Liberals, he suggested that such an increase in the old age pension would end up pinching the federal government’s wallet a little too much.
As currently worded, the measure would amount to $3 billion per year.
When a journalist asked him if the Bloc’s bill was “fiscally responsible,” Mr. Champagne replied: “to ask the question is to answer it.”
“I believe that Canadians want fiscal rigor, and they understand that we have done a lot for seniors,” Mr. Champagne said in English.
He agreed with the Minister of Labor, Steven MacKinnon, for whom the Bloc Québécois’ strategy is to accelerate the date of an election to favor the election of a conservative government and thus create the winning conditions for sovereignty. .
“When he proposes things like that, with a kind of timetable that he pulls out of the hat, he has something else in mind, Mr. Blanchet. Old foxes from Quebec like me understand the game behind it!” said Mr. Champagne, laughing.
The vote will take place after question period on Wednesday.
Both the NDP and Conservative Party could vote in favor of the Bloc’s motion, significantly increasing its chances of success.
