Bloc Qu茅b茅cois Leader Yves-Fran莽ois Blanchet says he91裸聊视频檚 staying modest about the prospect of his party forming official Opposition in the next federal election, though it would be a 91裸聊视频渟pectacular91裸聊视频� result.

91裸聊视频淚 refuse to see the election in terms of pride or a trophy, or to claim to be part of history,91裸聊视频� he told The Canadian Press in a year-end interview.

As Justin Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 minority government teeters and polls point to a possible collapse of the Liberal vote, Blanchet said he91裸聊视频檚 staying focused on earning the confidence of Quebecers. 91裸聊视频淨uebecers will give us a mandate, and we91裸聊视频檒l carry it out responsibly by always repeating to ourselves, I hope, that we have to live with modesty,91裸聊视频� he said.

The most recent projections from poll aggregator Canada338.com show that if an election were held today, the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre would win a crushing majority of 232 seats. The site suggests the Bloc is running a distant second with 45 seats 91裸聊视频� but ahead of the Liberals with 39, the NDP with 25, and the Greens with two.

If such a scenario were to come to pass, the anti-monarchist, Quebec-focused sovereigntist party would become His Majesty91裸聊视频檚 Loyal Opposition, and Blanchet would get the keys to Stornoway, the Opposition leader91裸聊视频檚 official residence in Ottawa.

91裸聊视频淚f that happens, I can only say that we respect institutions 91裸聊视频� while having already said that the Senate should be abolished, that the monarchy in Canada should be abolished,91裸聊视频� he said, adding, 91裸聊视频渂ut we are not there to break the toys.91裸聊视频�

Blanchet said his party would carry itself with a 91裸聊视频減ositive and constructive attitude,91裸聊视频� while continuing to advocate for Quebec sovereignty.

91裸聊视频淲e can expect that, when an issue affects all of Canada, including Quebec, we will do our job,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲hen an issue affects just Quebec, or almost just Quebec, we91裸聊视频檙e right in our business.91裸聊视频� The party may be 91裸聊视频渕ore discreet,91裸聊视频� however, on issues that impact the rest of English Canada, he said.

Blanchet said his party would continue to speak only French in the House of Commons. But when asked if he had a message to English Canada, he said 91裸聊视频減eople don91裸聊视频檛 have to fear us.91裸聊视频�

He said the party91裸聊视频檚 position on many issues are well-known, 91裸聊视频渁nd we91裸聊视频檙e not going to pull the ideological rabbit out of the hat.91裸聊视频� What91裸聊视频檚 good for Quebec is also, often, good for Canada, he added. As examples, he cited his party91裸聊视频檚 recent battles to raise Old Age Security for younger seniors, to ensure supply management is protected in trade agreements, and to remove an exemption for religious speech in the section of the Criminal Code dealing with hate speech.

Blanchet laughed when asked if he91裸聊视频檇 prefer a medium-sized Bloc contingent that holds the balance of power or a larger number of MPs in a majority parliament. 91裸聊视频淎n interesting trap question,91裸聊视频� he said. Either scenario can be worked to his party91裸聊视频檚 advantage, he said, adding that he is focused on getting as many MPs elected as possible.

91裸聊视频淎 very strong Bloc Qu茅b茅cois delegation forces a government, any government, to respect what Quebec wants,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淎nd the proof is in front of us: Justin Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 government didn91裸聊视频檛 respect Quebec and it91裸聊视频檚 possible they91裸聊视频檒l find themselves with a historically low number of seats in Quebec in the next election.91裸聊视频� Quebec, he said, 91裸聊视频渋s making them pay the price.91裸聊视频�

The Bloc Qu茅b茅cois has formed the Official Opposition only once before, in 1993, after Lucien Bouchard left Brian Mulroney91裸聊视频檚 Progressive Conservatives to found the party.

The Bloc, in its first general election, won 54 seats, behind Jean Chr茅tien91裸聊视频檚 Liberals with 177. The incumbent Conservatives were all but wiped off the board, going from a majority government to finishing fifth with two seats.

Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 minority government seems all but certain to fall now that the NDP has announced that it will vote to bring down the government. Blanchet, who has voted against the government since the fall, said he would not support the Liberals under any circumstances and confirmed he would also vote to head for an election at the first opportunity.

That means he91裸聊视频檚 resisting the 91裸聊视频渃lear temptation91裸聊视频� to help the government survive long enough to allow his bill C-282, which protects supply management on dairy, poultry and eggs, to get adopted in the Senate.

There91裸聊视频檚 a lot more at stake in an election than just supply management, he said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the whole of trade, the whole of the economy, the whole of international relations, the whole of the treatment of the most disadvantaged, housing, homelessness.91裸聊视频�

Blanchet says he doesn91裸聊视频檛 regret letting the Conservatives paralyze the work of the House of Commons during the fall. Unblocking Parliament without getting his demands met would have made his party as weak as the NDP, he said.

91裸聊视频淚f we want to be respected, we have to act accordingly,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he government didn91裸聊视频檛 deserve our help.91裸聊视频� The government, Blanchet said, spent the fall saying privately that they wanted to negotiate without any concrete action to suggest they were serious about doing so.

If there is one thing he would do differently, he said, it would be to be more patient. Politicians, he said, should better explain their thinking rather than 91裸聊视频渢rying to have the killer line of the day.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淥ur work doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean anything if people don91裸聊视频檛 understand us,91裸聊视频� he said.

Michel Saba, The Canadian Press