The Star | Chantal Hebert: Tories set to gain from Bloc’s loss

With the calling of a general election for Oct. 14, the stage is tentatively set for the most dramatic make-over of the federal scene in 15 years.

Not since the Bloc Québécois and the Reform Party took over the opposition side of the House of Commons in 1993 have so many of the ingredients of a major shift in the federal dynamics been in place.

For the first time in four decades, the issue of Quebec’s place in the federation will not be central to a federal campaign. Since the 2006 election, the prospect of another referendum has fallen off the radar, taking with it the parties that promote sovereignty.

As a result, Quebec is up for grabs in a way that it has not been since the advent of the Bloc almost two decades ago. The party’s grasp on the province has been slipping with Quebec pre-election polls reporting a double-digit drop in support from its 2006 score of 42 per cent.

As things stand today, the Bloc chips are primarily poised to fall in Stephen Harper’s lap. The Conservatives are the best-organized alternative on offer in much of francophone Quebec.

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