Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be making adjustments to his cabinet today, CTV News has confirmed. The small shuffle is the result of longtime cabinet minister-turned Independent MP Pablo Rodriguez quitting as a minister
Earlier today, Rodriguez announced he was stepping down as transport minister and Quebec lieutenant, to run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP)
CTV News has learned Treasury Board President Anita Anand will assume Rodriguez’ ministerial responsibilities, while Minister of Procurement Jean Yves Duclos will take over as the Liberals’ Quebec lieutenant in a minor cabinet ‘adjustment’ later today
A swearing-in ceremony for “a member” of the Canadian ministry has been scheduled at Rideau Hall for 3:30 p.m. ET
There are also plans underway for a bigger shuffle in the next few months, sources also tell CTV News
Rodriguez to sit a Independen
While Rodriguez has vacated his seat on the front bench, he will be staying on as the MP for Honoré-Mercier, Que. In a notable move, Rodriguez has decided to sit as an Independent MP until the launch of the leadership campaign next January
Asked why he’s decided to stay on and separate himself in the House of Commons from the political party he’s been a part of for decades, Rodriguez said he wanted to avoid “a costly byelection” potentially months before a general election
“I am running as an Independent because my priorities can no longer be those of a government, a government I have always served as a good team player, but today I have to set my own priorities and advance my own vision,” he said in French
First elected as an MP in 2004, Rodriguez was defeated by the NDP’s Paulina Ayala during the Orange Wave
Rodriguez then won his seat back in 2015 and has since served in a series of cabinet roles, including as government leader in the House of Commons, and heritage minister
His departure – while heavily speculated over the summer – comes just days after the Liberals lost a key byelection in another Montreal riding to the Bloc Quebecois
The prominent Quebec politician is the latest in a growing number of high-profile Liberals moving away from team Trudeau
Former labour minister Seamus O’Regan announced in July he was stepping down from cabinet and would not seek re-election, and just before the fall sitting began, the Liberals’ national campaign director Jeremy Broadhurst quit
More than a dozen Liberal MPs have also either stepped away or have announced they won’t be running for re-election(opens in a new tab)
Promises to vote in Quebec’s interest
Rodriguez’s run for the Quebec Liberal Party is to replace former leader Dominique Anglade, who stepped down in late 2022, a month after the party’s provincial election loss to Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Quebec
Today, Legault called on Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet to topple the Trudeau government(opens in a new tab) when given their first chance at a motion of non-confidence next week
Blanchet has already said his party won’t be backing the Conservatives’ first attempt to trigger an early election. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has yet to reveal how his caucus will vote
Asked how he intends to vote as a newfound Independent MP navigating the unstable minority Parliament dynamics, Rodriguez said he will vote for policies that he thinks are “good for Quebec and for Quebecers.”
“It’s not about the Liberal government, this time, it’s about me, my vision, what I’m going to propose… It’s not about the federal government anymore. They will do what they have to do, and I will do what have to do on my side,” Rodriguez said
In a statement, leadership rival Marc Bélanger welcomed Rodriguez into the race
“His commitment to further defending Quebec’s interests, beyond what he achieved as Quebec Lieutenant, is an encouraging sign. This campaign will finally give him the opportunity to be more present on the ground, to step outside of Montreal, and to meet with Quebecers across all regions of the province,” he said in a statement
Members of the QLP are set to vote to elect their new leader at their party convention next June
