OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet are engaged in a war of words over the possibility of the federal Liberals striking a deal with the Bloc to keep their troubled minority government afloat.

Blanchet said he sees it as a sign that the Bloc is doing its job.

“Maybe all regions of Canada should emulate the Bloc,” Blanchet told a reporter in English, adding that he’d be happy to speak with Smith, or send ex-Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe on his behalf, if she wanted to learn more about advocating for her region in Ottawa.