Pablo Rodriguez to sit as Independent while seeking Quebec Liberal leadership
Rodriguez baits Quebec premier to enter federal politics
Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez announced his resignation from cabinet on Thursday and said he will sit as an Independent until the launch of the Quebec Liberal Party leadership race next year.
At a news conference in Gatineau, Que., the former transport minister said he is staying on as a member of Parliament until January to avoid a costly byelection weeks, or possibly months, before a general election.
The first phase of the Quebec Liberal leadership race begins on Jan. 13, 2025.
No byelection is called within nine months of a fixed date general election, according to the Parliament of Canada Act.
"My priorities can no longer be those of a government that I have always served as a good team player," Rodriguez told reporters, adding that he wants to set his own priorities and advance a vision for a "fairer, more humane, more united Quebec."
"I am certain that François Legault's Quebec — with its divisive politics — doesn't resemble Quebecers and doesn't unite Quebecers," he added.
His departure from cabinet comes nearly two months after Seamus O'Regan, the former labour and seniors minister, stepped down.
Rodriguez's deep ties to the federal Liberal Party span more than 20 years.
He was first elected with the party in 2004 as the MP for Honoré-Mercier, in Montreal's east end, and re-elected in the same riding in 2006 and 2008. After being defeated by the NDP's Paulina Ayala in 2011, he was re-elected in 2015 and in the last two elections.
Anand, Duclos to take on portfolios
A staunch Liberal, Rodriguez was sworn in as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Quebec lieutenant and government House leader in 2019.
On Thursday afternoon, Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos confirmed he would replace Rodriguez as Quebec lieutenant.
"I intend to honour this trust and take on these immense responsibilities in the best interests of Quebecers, no matter where they live or where they come from," Duclos said in a media statement.
President of the Treasury Board Anita Anand was sworn in as transport minister on Thursday.
"We know that for an economy to function efficiently, we need a transportation system that functions well too and that is my priority in this role," she told reporters following the ceremony.
In response to Quebec Premier François Legault's recent attempt to rally support against the Trudeau government, Rodriguez confirmed he would be voting against a Conservative non-confidence motion set to be tabled next week.
On Thursday, Legault called on Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to show some "courage" and ask Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet not to back the Trudeau government and to "defend the interests of the Quebec nation."
"To my surprise, Mr. Legault is pushing the Bloc Québécois to defeat the government," Rodriguez said. "My message to Mr. Legault is if he wants to do federal politics, he should come to Ottawa."
He accused Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of indulging in "partisan politics" and said Canadians don't want an election right now.
Blanchet repeated Thursday what he said the day before: his caucus will vote against the non-confidence motion because the result would amount to swapping Trudeau for Poilievre.
"I'm not a Conservative. Conservative values are not Quebec values," Blanchet said on Wednesday.
As for Rodriguez leaving cabinet, Blanchet dismissed the suggestion that having one fewer Quebec cabinet minister would affect the province's interests.
"A Quebec minister in a Liberal government takes his orders from the majority that is Canadian, and he quickly realizes that he has little power," Blanchet said Thursday.
"Mr. Rodriguez has already given us an example," Blanchet added, referring to the former Liberal MP saying Thursday morning that he sometimes went against his convictions as a Quebecer when he was a member of the government.
"One more Quebec minister, one fewer Quebec minister — it doesn't change much," Blanchet said.
With Rodriguez's departure, the Liberals will have 33 MPs in Quebec — the same number as the Bloc Québécois.
with files from Aaron Wherry and Max Paris
