Duceppe expects federal election call within a month

Duceppe also claims that the Conservative's are using blackmail when it is more of a bribe. However, the bribe is nowhere near large enough to buy Duceppe's support. Duceppe wants a much larger aid package. It will be interesting to see what the Liberals and New Democrats finally decide to do. I suppose the first thing the Liberals will want to do is to take another poll!

Duceppe expects federal election call within a month
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 | 6:09 PM ET
CBC News
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe said Tuesday he expects a federal election will be called in about a month.

Speaking in Quebec City, Duceppe said he believes the country will be plunged into an election campaign after MPs vote on the government's plan to help the forestry and manufacturing sectors.

"We will make our demands known – in anticipation of the budget – at the end of the month," the Bloc leader said in French during a press conference in Quebec City.

"We are preparing, and we have to be responsible. It's possible an election could be triggered in mid-February. We will be ready," he said.

The Bloc is opposed to the Tories' $1-billion aid plan, saying the sum is clearly insufficient to help the troubled industries.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to tie the plan to the adoption of the federal budget is blackmail, Duceppe said.



The sovereigntist party is calling on Ottawa to boost the amount of money in the aid package to $4.5 billion, with roughly $1.3 billion of the envelope dedicated to Quebec.

Overall, the party would like the plan to include $2 billion for the manufacturing industry, $1 billion for the forestry sector and $1.5 billion for the retraining of laid-off workers, Duceppe said.

"The industry and union demands are in that vein," he said. "What Ottawa is offering falls short."

The Bloc says it will try to force a vote on the plan when the House of Commons reconvenes later this winter.

If an election is triggered, the Bloc will be ready and has healthy coffers, Duceppe said.

With files from the Canadian Press