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“Let’s grab something,” Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said on Tuesday.

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He was talking about whether he would support Justin Trudeau Liberals or back Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives in voting to bring down the government. Blanchet views Trudeau and Poilievre as virtually the same, at least on the issues that matter to him and his separatist party.

“Getting rid of Mr. Trudeau in order to have him replaced by Pierre Poilievre, who basically says the same thing or nothing, about successful immigration, about oil and gas, about secularity of the state, about challenging French language protection in Quebec, about all of those things about the way we treat elders, the health care money transfer from Ottawa to Quebec and provinces, they say basically the same thing,” Blanchet mused.

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“So, what’s the point of replacing one person who does not work for Quebecers by another person that will not work for Quebecers?”

It’s not an entirely fair assessment. Trudeau and Poilievre are quite far apart on many issues. Trudeau is very much in favour of a strong central government making demands on provinces, a position that isn’t welcomed in Quebec, Alberta or Saskatchewan.

Poilievre has also been stronger on reducing immigration numbers to a manageable level than Trudeau has after his government let things get out of control. And as for oil and gas, Blanchet wants that industry shut down, something Poilievre opposes but Trudeau is slowly moving the country towards.

There are statements in what Blanchet said Tuesday that will outrage much of the country, but his stance on seniors could make him a hero to those between 65 and 74.

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Obviously, the Bloc’s position that Canada’s oil-and-gas sector should be shut down is a non-starter in Alberta, Saskatchewan and even in much of British Columbia and Manitoba where there is extraction even if on a smaller scale. With the Bloc being a party that only cares about Quebec, they won’t care about reaction in the rest of the country and in fact, making people in Calgary angry will play well to their base in Montreal.

The brazenness of Blanchet’s statement that while Trudeau is weak the Bloc should “grab something” is both shocking and to be admired. They have their goals and they are reaching for them. Even if you disagree with their goals, it is a good political play for Blanchet.

For Trudeau to give in to those goals, though, that will prove toxic to him.

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Not only will Trudeau lose votes to the Bloc in Quebec where voters will be reminded that any changes are due to the separatist party’s efforts, but it will cost him votes in the rest of Canada. Caving to the Bloc will not play well west of the Ottawa river and will be just another factor in Trudeau losing votes in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.

Depending on his success rate, though, Blachet may become one of the favourite politicians of seniors.

The Bloc leader wants the Trudeau government to adopt his party’s private member’s bill C-319. That bill would expand the government’s 10% increase in Old Age Security Payments to those aged 65-74 years of age.

In 2022, the Trudeau government announced an increase of 10% in OAS payments but only to those aged 75 years and older.

If Blanchet can close that gap for seniors across the country, he may end up finding supporters in the strangest of places, even where they can’t vote for him.

The political situation on Parliament Hill is in flux to say the least. We will see strange arrangements in the coming weeks and months and that includes Justin Trudeau seeking the support of separatists to keep himself in power.

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