Latest news with #QuebecLiberalParty
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Montreal Gazette
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Pablo Rodriguez can't treat anglos ‘as the party wallet'
The Corner Booth Pablo Rodriguez is the new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, but is he the right man for the job? As pointed out by The Gazette's Philip Authier, Rodriguez 'has his work cut out for him.' Political strategist Jennifer Crane, founder of Connexion Quebec Public Affairs, and political analyst Raphaël Melançon, founder of Trafalgar Stratégies, join hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on this week's episode of The Corner Booth at Snowdon Deli to break down Rodriguez's closer-than-expected leadership win, and whether he can bring Quebecers back to the party in time for the 2026 election. 'I was surprised he didn't win as solidly as he thought he was going to win,' Crane said. 'Most people I know who are anglos voted for (second-place finisher) Charles Milliard.' A new Pallas Data poll shows the provincial Liberals sit in second place under their new leader, only five points back of the Parti Québécois. With Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's party ahead and François Legault's CAQ a distant third, Melançon says sovereignty is back on the table, meaning Rodriguez can position the Liberals as a refuge for voters who don't want a referendum. But Rodriguez will have to make inroads in the regions of Quebec, where his resumé as a Montreal-area federal cabinet minister under Justin Trudeau could complicate matters. 'He is an easy target to attack. He's an easy target for the PQ,' Melançon said. 'One thing I hope he doesn't import from the federal Liberals is to treat the English-speaking community as the party wallet,' Crane said. 'And then we're expected to turn around and say 'oh, we didn't notice you're putting a knife in our back.'' In the episode, they also discussed Marwah Rizqy leading the Liberals in the legislature, as well as this fall's municipal election, which will see a new mayor get elected with Valérie Plante choosing to not run again. Projet Montréal's Luc Rabouin and Ensemble Montréal's Soraya Martinez Ferrada are in the running, but could we see a last-minute candidate emerge?
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Marie-Claude Nichols officially back in the Quebec Liberal caucus
Independent MNA Marie-Claude Nichols, who was expelled from the Quebec Liberal Party caucus by former leader Dominique Anglade in 2022, signs a new membership card at the invitation of leadership candidate Pablo Rodriguez, at the party's headquarters in Montreal, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Pierre Saint-Arnaud/The Canadian Press)
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Quebec Liberals pick Pablo Rodriguez. Brace for a return to sovereignty battles in Quebec
It was far from the spectacular coronation some were expecting. On Saturday, Pablo Rodriguez became the new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, securing just over 52 per cent support on the second ballot against runner-up Charles Milliard. That's quite a short margin — light years away compared to Mark Carney's stunning 86 per cent majority on the first ballot just a few months ago on the federal stage. After a leadership race that lasted nearly a whole year, Justin Trudeau's former lieutenant inherits a party that is deeply divided. Results show that close to one in two Liberal members (47.7 per cent) didn't make him either their first or second choice in this preferential voting system. As a matter of fact, the 'Anyone but Pablo' movement nearly cost him the victory at the finish line. So his first task, before he can begin persuading voters to trust him in the next election, will be to unite his own party — and his caucus at the National Assembly — around his leadership and vision for the QLP's future. Time will tell whether a staunch Montreal-based federalist like Rodriguez can bring nationalists and rural voters back into the Liberal fold. Milliard, the former CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, was the surprise of the race, finishing second on the first ballot and beating high-profile contender Karl Blackburn. Many saw in him as a breath of fresh air — a younger political outsider akin to Paul St-Pierre Plamondon for the Parti Québécois. For some, the choice of a seasoned politician like Rodriguez is seen as a missed opportunity for the party's renewal and for reconnecting with younger generations of Quebecers. One thing is for sure: After an impressive campaign in which Liberal members and the broader public got to know him better, Milliard has proven his high potential and shown what he's capable of. As he confirmed again this weekend his intention to run in the next provincial election as a Liberal candidate, there's little doubt we'll soon see him again on the political stage. Rodriguez's arrival in provincial politics also signals a potential revival of the sovereignty debate. He referenced it in his victory speech, already wielding the spectre of a third referendum on Quebec independence to dissuade voters from supporting the PQ. After an eight-year hiatus during which Quebecers embraced the so-called 'third way' offered by the nationalist-but-not-separatist Coalition Avenir Québec, it seems like the next election will likely revolve around the question of sovereignty. Yes, again. And the PQ is certainly thrilled at the idea of going back to these 'glory days'. Following five decades in which provincial politics were dominated by the debate over whether Quebec should secede from Canada, many believed François Legault's rise to power in 2018 had opened a new chapter — and perhaps even put the sovereigntist movement to rest for good. I must admit that I was one of them. And that we were probably wrong about it. With the ultra-federalist Rodriguez now facing off against hardline sovereigntist St-Pierre Plamondon — who is openly committed to holding another referendum in his first term if he becomes the next premier — Quebec appears to be poised to return to the good old quarrels about the province's future within Canada. And in this world of wedge politics and picking sides, this divisive question may serve well both the Liberals and the PQ, eclipsing in the process other, more pressing issues such as the economy, the management public finances, health, and education, to name just a few. All that, despite polls suggesting that roughly two-thirds of Quebecers are simply not interested in reopening this never-ending debate. It's almost as if we're moving backwards.
CTV News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Quebec Liberals to elect new leader at convention in provincial capital
Quebec Liberal Party leadership candidates, from left, Marc Bélanger, Mario Roy, Charles Milliard, Pablo Rodriguez and Karl Blackburn pose for a photograph following the Quebec Liberal Party French-language leadership debate in Laval, Que., Saturday, May 3, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov) The Quebec Liberal Party will choose its new leader today at a convention in the provincial capital. Five candidates are vying for the party's leadership, none of whom currently hold a seat in the provincial legislature. The frontrunners are Pablo Rodriguez, a former federal minister, Karl Blackburn, former president of a Quebec employers group, and Charles Milliard, former head of the federation of Quebec chambers of commerce. The party is hoping to make a comeback after suffering two crushing defeats in the 2018 and 2022 elections. The Liberals are now trying to reconnect with francophone voters outside Montreal in the hopes of forming government in the next election, set for October 2026. The new leader, to be elected by the party's roughly 20,000 members, will be announced later this afternoon in Quebec City. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Quebec Liberals to elect new leader at convention in provincial capital
QUÉBEC – The Quebec Liberal Party will choose its new leader today at a convention in the provincial capital. Five candidates are vying for the party's leadership, none of whom currently hold a seat in the provincial legislature. The frontrunners are Pablo Rodriguez, a former federal minister, Karl Blackburn, former president of a Quebec employers group, and Charles Milliard, former head of the federation of Quebec chambers of commerce. The party is hoping to make a comeback after suffering two crushing defeats in the 2018 and 2022 elections. The Liberals are now trying to reconnect with francophone voters outside Montreal in the hopes of forming government in the next election, set for October 2026. The new leader, to be elected by the party's roughly 20,000 members, will be announced later this afternoon in Quebec City. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
