PLQ leadership race | Rodriguez “very comfortable” between two chairs

(Halifax) Neither yes nor no. Minister Pablo Rodriguez continues to keep the suspense going. He refused to say Monday whether he would finally run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), he who had said he was thinking about it at the beginning of the month. His colleagues, gathered in Halifax for the Cabinet retreat, avoided giving their opinion on his possible departure.

“Right now I have nothing else to add so I won’t start making the tape or making stuff up. I’m not like that. You wouldn’t like that and I wouldn’t like that either,” he said when asked if his thinking had come to fruition.

He declined to say whether he was waiting for the by-election in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun to be over before giving the facts. It is scheduled for September 16. He simply praised Liberal candidate Laura Palestini, “who is really in touch with the realities on the ground” and with whom he went door-to-door on Saturday.

“I’m very comfortable,” he replied to a journalist who asked him if it was pleasant to sit between two chairs.

His departure would come at a bad time for the Liberals, as the election deadline approaches and they have been lagging behind the Conservatives in the polls for a year.

Mr. Rodriguez holds the critical position of political lieutenant to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Quebec. He must therefore ensure good relations between Ottawa and the Quebec government.

Mr. Trudeau would not say whether he was trying to hold him back.

He cited the labour dispute in the rail industry since Rodriguez is transport minister, and his responsibilities as Quebec’s lieutenant. He also rejected the suggestion that his departure said much about Liberal morale about a year before the next federal election.

“That says things about the ongoing service that Pablo is thinking of offering to citizens, whether at the federal level or elsewhere, and it doesn’t say much about everyone,” the Prime Minister replied.

“Everyone will make their own choice, but my choice, and the choice of the vast majority of my team, will always be to deliver. [la marchandise] for Canadians and that’s what we do.”

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne did not want to press his colleague to announce his decision. Mr. Champagne himself dispelled doubts about his political future last week by confirming that he would not run for the leadership of the PLQ, despite insistent calls for him to do so.

“We are happy to have Pablo as Quebec’s lieutenant who is doing his job. We will continue to support this,” he added.

With Joël-Denis Bellavance, The Press