OTTAWA — The more Prime Minister Stephen Harper moves to nip Alberta’s growing Wildrose movement in the bud on the federal scene, the more he risks deepening the divide between his government and Quebecers, says Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe.

In a year-end interview with Sun Media, Duceppe said the divide between the Conservatives and Quebecers has generally deepened over the past year and Harper’s efforts to retain his Alberta base could make matters worse.

For example, Duceppe said he believes the government’s position on the Copenhagen climate change talks was in part influenced by the growing popularity of Alberta’s right-wing Wildrose Alliance Party.

“I think Harper’s Conservatives have woken up to what’s happening in Alberta and will move even closer to the demands of the Wildrose party,” Duceppe said.

The party tapped into discontent with Premier Ed Stelmach’s Conservatives this year to win a seat in the Alberta legislature. Now, with former journalist Danielle Smith at the helm, the party is leading in the polls.

Should a similar phenomenon occur at the federal level — as it did with the birth of the Reform party in 1987 — it could undermine support for Harper’s Conservatives in one of their strongholds or force them to adopt more right-wing policies to stop the erosion of support.

Duceppe says it could prompt Harper’s government to strengthen its “tough on crime” position and its opposition to the gun registry.

Although the Conservatives wrested a riding away from the Bloc in a byelection this fall — a defeat Duceppe blames on voter apathy and discontent with MPs who don’t finish their terms — Duceppe believes the divide between Quebecers and the Conservatives has grown.

Duceppe says this was evident at the conference in Copenhagen, where Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s message to delegates about the need for strong action to address climate change was at odds with Environment Minister Jim Prentice’s position.

“When Prentice says Canada speaks with one voice, that voice isn’t saying what Quebec wants to say,” said Duceppe.

He said the government’s economic action plan has helped Ontario’s auto industry but not Quebec’s forestry sector and the changes to employment insurance won’t do much to help a lot of Quebec workers.

“Those choices are choices made for other interests than those of Quebecers.”

However, Duceppe fell short of saying the growing divide will fuel sovereigntist sentiment in Quebec.

The Bloc plans to focus on the upcoming 20th anniversary of the death of the Meech Lake accord with a series of conferences.

elizabeth.thompson@sunmedia.ca