‘We want to build the Quebec of tomorrow’: Pablo Rodriguez chosen as leader of Quebec Liberals
Posted June 14, 2025 4:42 pm.
Last Updated June 14, 2025 10:17 pm.
Pablo Rodriguez has been chosen as the new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
The former federal cabinet minister defeated Charles Milliard, former head of the federation of Quebec chambers of commerce, with 52 per cent of the vote in a runoff.
The results were announced at the Liberal convention in Quebec City Saturday.
“I have a message for all the Quebecers listening to us right now: the Quebec Liberal Party is there for you,” Rodriguez said in his victory speech. “Whether you live in the regions, or in Montreal, in a big city, or in the suburbs. If you’re last name is Tremblay, Smith or Diouf, we will be there for you, for everyone, for all of you.
“For those who are tired of deficits, hospitals that are falling apart, constant improvisation, we are there for you. For everyone who doesn’t want a referendum, we will be there for you.
“We need to rid ourselves of this bad government, we need to avoid the threat of another referendum, we need hope, determination. We need to unite all Quebecers like only the Quebec Liberal Party can. We want to build the Quebec of tomorrow for future generations, our kids, our grandkids.”
Rodriguez, 57, also defeated Karl Blackburn, former president of a Quebec employers’ group; Marc Bélanger, an international trade lawyer; and Mario Roy, an economist and farmer. Those three candidates did not make it past the first round of vote tabulation.
A second round was needed after no candidate received more than 50 per cent of the points; Rodriguez led with 39 per cent to Milliard’s 29 per cent. Those points were re-tabulated — new votes were not cast — with just Rodriguez and Milliard as candidates, at which point Rodriguez received enough points to be named the winner.
“I want to thank, congratulate Charles, Karl, Marc, Mario,” Rodriguez said, listing the other leadership candidates. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You gave the best of yourselves. Thanks to you, we all became better. The party became better. And you really made me work. You are all extraordinary.
“You left projects aside, you left careers aside, I know that’s not easy. I want to say bravo, to your teams, to your families, a huge bravo, bravo, bravo. And I need you, the party needs you, Quebec needs you.”
Rodriguez does not currently hold a seat in the provincial legislature. It’s unclear if a Liberal MNA will step down to trigger a byelection before the October 2026 provincial election.
“Pablo Rodriguez was the front-runner right from the get-go,” political analyst Karim Boulos told CityNews. “You know, a lot of this comes down to name recognition. Having been the lieutenant for Quebec, having been at the federal level, he certainly was a known entity in Quebec.
“The base of the Liberal Party has been let go, and I think the new leader has a big job to do in drumming up interest and bringing back the interest in what the Liberal Party stands for. So I think Mr. Rodriguez is going to spend a lot of his time touring Quebec, shaking hands, meeting people this summer.”
Rodriguez is vying to lead the Quebec Liberals to victory in that vote after the party suffered crushing defeats to François Legault’s CAQ in 2018 and 2022.
The Liberals are currently trailing Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s Parti Québécois in public opinion polls, but a survey last month found the Liberals would see a resurgence in popularity – enough to form government – if Rodriguez were at the helm.
“This is a new chapter being written today,” the new Liberal leader said. “A first race just ended, but a new one starts right now. Right now. Are we ready?” Rodriguez asked the cheering crowd.
“We’ll need to pull up our sleeves, work hard, together, united. We’ll need to work harder than ever, me more than anyone. I know that. But us Liberals have never been scared of working hard. We’ve never been scared of rolling our sleeves up.”
Reaction from party leaders
The leaders of Quebec’s other provincial parties took to the social media platform X to congratulate Rodriguez.
“I look forward to collaborating on the major issues affecting Quebecers,” Legault wrote.
“Quebec is at a crossroads regarding its linguistic, cultural, and financial future: the current status quo is untenable,” wrote St-Pierre Plamondon. “I look forward to debating the future of our nation and the necessary changes that must take place in the coming years. I also look forward to collaborating on issues whenever possible.”
“I look forward to seeing you on the road during the campaign,” wrote Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal. “I also want to congratulate Marc Tanguay on his successful interim leadership of the party.”
“Congratulations to Pablo Rodriguez on his election as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party,” Quebec Conservative Leader Eric Duhaime wrote. “I’m already looking forward to debating with him. Congratulations also to the other four candidates, particularly Charles Milliard.”
Interim leader since 2022
The Quebec Liberals had been without a leader since November 2022 when Dominique Anglade resigned shortly after that year’s election, which saw the Liberals win 21 seats in the National Assembly, down from 27 in 2018.
It was the party’s worst-ever defeat based on share of popular vote, though it managed to hang onto Official Opposition status thanks to the concentration of Liberal voters in Montreal.
Marc Tanguay had been serving as interim leader since Anglade stepped down.
“I know I can find the courage, the strength to defend Liberal values by drawing from the great leaders of our party who are here today: Daniel Johnson, Jean Charest, Philippe Couillard, Dominique Anglade. I love you and I admire you greatly,” said Rodriguez, who also tanked Tanguay for stepping in as interim leader. “You marked Quebec’s history, and we are eternally grateful. Now it’s my time to live up to the challenge.”
Rodriguez was previously the federal Liberal MP for Honoré-Mercier from 2004 to 2011, then again from 2015 until his resignation this year, stepping down to run for leader of the Quebec Liberals.
During his time in Ottawa, he served in several roles including minister of Canadian heritage and minister of transport.
The Quebec Liberal leadership race, which began in January, was overshadowed by upheaval in Ottawa – with former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation sparking a federal Liberal leadership race and a general election – and threats of tariffs and annexation from the United States.
–With files from Gareth Madoc-Jones and The Canadian Press
