Transport Minister Rodriguez Departs, a Cabinet Shake-Up, and Political Posturing in Ottawa and Quebec

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet received a shake-up today after the announcement by Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez that he would running as a candidate for the leadership of the Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ). Rodriguez is the fifth declared candidate for the leadership race, which will officially start on January 13th, with the new leader being announced on July 14, 2025. 

Rodriguez (Honoré-Mercier, QC), a six-term Member of Parliament and a Cabinet Minister since 2018, also served as the Prime Minister’s “Quebec Lieutenant,” helping to coordinate government and party activities in the province. Interestingly, Rodriguez will be staying on as a Member of Parliament but will sit as an Independent. 

As for who replaces Rodriguez in both roles: 

• Treasury Board President Anita Anand (Oakville, ON) will take Rodriguez’ role as Transport Minister, adding to her current workload. 

• Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos (Québec, QC) will serve as Quebec Lieutenant. 

It is expected that there will be a wider cabinet shuffle in the coming weeks, and as such, both Anand and Duclos may only be serving in a temporary role. 

On the same day as the Prime Minister’s cabinet shuffle, it’s also important to note the ongoing drama around next week’s non-confidence vote in the House of Commons, precipitated by Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. 

While the third place Bloc Quebecois had publicly announced that it would oppose Poilievre’s motion, ensuring the Liberal government’s survival through next week, Quebec Premier François Legault has called on the Bloc and its leader, Yves-François Blanchet to support the non-confidence motion. Blanchet’s response however was quite clear – that he rejected Legault’s demand and said he serves Quebecers “according to my own judgement.” 

Legault’s rationale is due to Ottawa’s response to immigration in Quebec and what he considers a failure to act around the issue of temporary immigrants to the province. Legault also called on the Bloc’s provincial counterpart, the Parti Quebecois (PQ) to ask Blanchet to vote non-confidence in the federal government.   

Legault’s demand must be examined through a clear political lens – for months, Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government have been lagging behind the provincial Parti Quebecois. By trying to drive a wedge on a hot-button issue like immigration in Quebec between the Bloc and the Liberals, Legault clearly sees an opportunity to try and regain some popularity in Quebec versus the PQ. 

Expect the political scene in Ottawa and elsewhere to continue to heat up before next Wednesday’s confidence vote in the Commons, with more positioning and pontificating from the party leaders.