Rodriguez's resignation exposes the lost purpose of the Liberal Party of Canada
Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Pablo Rodriguez's departure from federal politics to pursue the Quebec Liberal leadership can be seen as an indictment on Justin Trudeau's approach to federalism.
The symbolism was unmistakable.
Walking with his family across the Alexandra Bridge from Parliament Hill to Gatineau to make his announcement, former Liberal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez declared he was moving on from federal politics to run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.
Equally symbolic during the announcement was the backdrop of the Maurice Richard statue, a legendary hockey figure whose wide-ranging feats drew the admiration of both Quebecers and Canadians alike.
On that note, there was a time the Liberal Party of Canada could also uniquely, and historically, fashion itself as the representative voice for both Quebec and Canada simultaneously. Some would argue it still does. But after nine years of Justin Trudeau's prime ministership, what has become increasingly clear is that the party has lost its traditional handle on the needs of the province, and the country at large.
Moreover, in leaving the Liberal Party of Canada altogether to sit as an Independent MP until the formal launch of the leadership race in Quebec, it appears Rodriguez is indirectly confirming to Quebecers that the current iteration of Liberals under Trudeau have indeed lost their way in the province.
This sentiment was affirmed in a recent by-election loss in the Liberal stronghold of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun to the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which would have been considered unthinkable on the island of Montreal prior to Trudeau.
Yet, under the Trudeau government, there has been an unsustainable surge in asylum seekers and overall immigration levels, which has exacerbated an already strained health care sector, not to mention the widespread cost of living crisis. And for Quebec in particular, sensitivities over immigration control has been an unrelenting demand, as a means of preserving the French language and protecting the nationalistic character of the province.
For many in Quebec now, and sadly even across Canada, Trudeau’s haphazard philosophy on mass immigration has been regarded as an utter betrayal, among several other major critiques for his tiring administration. But this analysis seeks to consider that it has actually been Trudeau's failed approach to federalism that has underpinned Rodriguez’s decision to enter provincial politics.
Cynically, Rodriguez’s move can be viewed as being similar to what other senior cabinet ministers do in the dying days of a long-sitting government, having more to do with self-preservation, and seizing on an opportunity that gets him off the sinking ship.
While this may be true on the surface, it also says something about Rodriguez’s intentions when the Quebec Liberal Party is arguably in a worse situation, seeing as they are not in the seat of power, leaderless, directionless, and polling abysmally. In fact, one sitting Quebec Liberal MLA described the party as being a “ship that has already sunk,” upon learning of Rodriguez’s declaration.
Even so, consider the following reflection made by Rodriguez during his news conference:
“To win the 1995 referendum, it was necessary to bring together all the federalists, from Jean Chrétien to Jean Charest, including Brian Mulroney, and also a young Pablo Rodriguez."
"Canada without Quebec is completely distorted, in my eyes.”
"It is part of the fundamental discussion, given that the Parti Québécois is promising a referendum in its first mandate.”
Rodriguez is aptly recognizing the precarious state of the Canadian federation, with the possible looming threat the Parti Quebecois (PQ) can represent. He also expressed his desire to stem the separatist tide in manner reminiscent of former Premier Jean Charest, who similarly left federal politics to later become leader of the Quebec Liberals, and subsequently premier of the province.
The current rise of the PQ can be partly attributable to the existing state of the Quebec Liberals being without a leader or raison d'etre, and as a result, is not situated as a viable alternative to the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), also down respectively in the polls at the moment.
But as this newsletter has previously argued, the justification for PQ relevance is also a natural consequence of Trudeau's capitulation to CAQ Premier Francois Legault’s modern day “sovereignty-association” project with unconstitutional initiatives such as Bill 96, steering further away from any previous understanding of federalism.
And for the predominantly Anglophone community of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, who have felt abandoned by the Trudeau Liberals with its passive acceptance of Bill 96, is it any wonder why they in turn have abandoned the party in the latest by-election?
Every Liberal prime minister, from Wilfrid Laurier to Paul Martin, were preoccupied with the importance of national unity, and consequently, the Liberal Party of Canada was seen as a vessel for Quebec’s aspirations, while being trusted to maintain the integrity and unity of the country. Unlike his predecessors, Trudeau instead has been solely preoccupied with his own political expedience, at the cost of jurisdictional chaos and constitutional fracturing.
This being said, Rodriguez is starting with somewhat of a credibility deficit in attempting to undo the damage. As Trudeau's Quebec Lieutenant - an advisory role designed to be a conduit between the federal government and the issues unique to Quebec - he was complicit in the unwanted federal encroachment into areas of provincial jurisdiction such as health care, as well as the continued non-defense for Canada's constitution.
It will be no easy task for Rodriguez to separate himself from a record that has displeased a majority of Quebecers, but he has already begun to make his case:
“I have the opportunity to set my own priorities. I was defending the priorities of the government, and I did it in a very loyal way…
Now it’s more about my vision, the vision of the team that I’m building – that’s what I’m going to put forward for Quebecers.”
This may provide a partial explanation why Rodriguez will sit as an independent in the House of Commons, to give himself the much needed distance from Trudeau’s ongoing approach to the province.
For additional context within the House itself, the Trudeau Liberals no longer have the benefit of their parliamentary coalition with the NDP to support their minority government, and so the Bloc have already signaled their intention to extract gains from a weakened Trudeau.
Any political dalliances with the Bloc, whose aim it is to ultimately see Quebec separate from the rest of Canada, would be unhelpful to Rodriguez’s federalist cause had he stayed within the Liberal caucus. As such, this only further illustrates that in all probability, his resignation should be interpreted more so as a repudiation of the Liberal Party's approach to Quebec, and by extension, to federalism itself.
The Liberal Party of Canada henceforth needs to remember its history and purpose, which was as an ardent defender of Canada's constitutional order and national unity, rather than a mere defender of Trudeau's personal grip on power - meaning, a change in leadership is required. Though with the NDP’s withdrawal from the Supply and Confidence Agreement likely bolstering Trudeau’s case to stay on as leader for stability in an uncertain minority Parliament, any such efforts in renewal may be too little, too late.