(Gatineau) As of this Thursday, Pablo Rodriguez is no longer a federal minister or political lieutenant for Quebec. He is an independent member of parliament and a candidate for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ).
The MP made his intention to move from one parliamentary hill to another official in a press conference held on the other side of the Ottawa River, in Gatineau, at the foot of the Alexandra Bridge, on Thursday morning.
The decision not to immediately resign as Liberal MP for Honoré-Mercier was made to avoid a costly by-election, explained Pablo Rodriguez, who said he made his decision to leave the federal Liberal ship quite some time ago.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Pablo Rodriguez with his wife Roxane Hardy (left) and his daughter Béatrice.
He wasted no time in criticizing Prime Minister François Legault, especially since the latter had just asked the Bloc Québécois to bring down the Trudeau government by supporting Pierre Poilievre’s motion next week.
He, who hopes to be able to sit in the National Assembly as leader of the PLQ, invited the Prime Minister to launch himself into federal politics rather than interfere in his affairs. He also accused the CAQ government of not representing Quebecers, nor of not uniting them.
Although he was less incisive towards PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, he still criticized his intention to hold a referendum on Quebec independence in the event of a victory by Parti Québécois troops in the next Quebec election in 2026.
And five
Pablo Rodriguez becomes the fifth candidate to confirm his intentions to succeed Dominique Anglade.
The other candidates are former federal minister and former mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre, former president of the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce, Charles Milliard, Marc Bélanger, a tax lawyer from Matane, and the PLQ MP for Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Frédéric Beauchemin.
The latter was quick to launch a first salvo aimed at Pablo Rodriguez, who comes from a spendthrift government that is accumulating deficits.
“I do not agree with his roadmap in terms of public finance management, in terms of the invasion of Quebec’s areas of jurisdiction and the economic vision of this government,” he criticized in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
To this, Pablo Rodriguez did not offer a clear answer, except to say that he believed in the importance of sound management of public funds.
Support and organization
Before confirming his intentions, the resigning minister received the support of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce MP Désirée McGraw in the leadership race.
He will also receive the support of Luc Fortin, a former minister in Philippe Couillard’s government. Mr. Fortin, who was the MNA for Sherbrooke, is to act as co-chair of his leadership campaign, according to our information.
With Fanny Lévesque, The Press