Distaste for Poilievre is sweet to Bloc

Only one political party came out of Monday's federal byelections with total victory - the Bloc Québécois ― and it could be a signal to buckle up for a major turn in Canadian politics in the weeks and months ahead.

- SUSAN DELACOURT

In fact, it could be argued that the Bloc's clout in Parliament hasn't been this large since it served as Her Majesty's official opposition in the 1990s.

What seemed then an odd chapter in Canadian history a separatist party occupying seats normally reserved for a government in waiting was also a symptom of the malaise with politics as usual in this country at the time.

The Bloc's surge in influence today, three decades later, may spring from a similar sentiment. It only holds 33 seats now, but the distemper of this polarized, minority Parliament puts the Bloc in the driver's seat. And that is more than a Quebec story.

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet wasn't exactly gloating on Tuesday morning as he appeared with his new MP from LaSalleÉmard-Verdun, Louis-Philippe Sauvé. But he was certainly satisfied with what many saw as a surprise win.

Yes, it was unequivocally bad news for Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, Blanchet said. But he was also clear that the votes cast in Montreal and Winnipeg could not exactly be seen as good news for New Democrats or even Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives.

The NDP has already strengthened the Bloc by ripping up its governing deal with the Liberals earlier this month, forcing Trudeau to pay more attention to keeping the Bloc onside if it wants to stay in government.