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CBC
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Quebec Liberals to elect new leader today ahead of 2026 election
The Quebec Liberals' leadership race is coming to an end Saturday in Quebec City, where members are poised to elect their next leader. Whoever they chose will replace interim leader Marc Tanguay, who took over from Dominique Anglade after she stepped down in 2022, and represent the party at the next provincial election coming up in October 2026. All members registered with the party as of May 9 are eligible to cast a vote via preferential ballot. Votes are weighed by riding and age, meaning there's pressure for candidates to appeal to Quebec's different regions and young people. It can take up to two rounds of voting to decide a winner. Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez is largely considered the front-runner in the race. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004, representing the Honoré-Mercier riding in Montreal. As part of former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government, he held various ministerial roles in cabinet, including most recently minister of transport. Rodriguez left cabinet and began sitting in the House as an Independent MP in September 2024 after announcing his pivot to provincial politics and his intention to run for the Quebec Liberal leadership. Running against Rodriguez is Karl Blackburn, who represented Roberval at the National Assembly from 2003 until 2007 under Jean Charest's Liberals. He's also the former president of a Quebec employers' group, the Conseil du patronat du Québec. Charles Milliard, another candidate, is a pharmacist by training and the former head of the Quebec Federation of Chambers of Commerce. Other candidates seeking the party's leadership are international trade lawyer Marc Bélanger and Mario Roy, an economist and farmer. The Liberals currently hold 19 out of 125 seats at the National Assembly.
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Analysis: After months of campaigning, Quebec Liberals will elect their new leader on Saturday
Quebec Politics By QUEBEC — It has been a long process, often overshadowed by other events, but Quebec's Liberals will finally get their new leader on Saturday. About 600 Liberals are expected to roll into the Quebec City convention centre this weekend to witness the election and the first moves of a successor to Dominique Anglade, who quit the leadership in November 2022. She left politics after the Liberals obtained their worst electoral score ever in the Oct. 3, 2022 general election, which gave Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec a second mandate in office. Many Liberals will arrive having already voted electronically or by phone for one of the five candidates in the leadership race. Others, who chose to wait, will cast their ballots on the site of the Centre des congrès, where the leadership convention is being held. The candidates get one last time to make their pitch in speeches Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The party has not provided an update on the percentage of votes cast to date, but sources said voting has been brisk. There have been no technical problems with the voting system. The actual result of the vote will be announced around 4:15 p.m. Saturday followed by a speech by the winner. For the party, the vote will mark the end of a long leadership process that kicked off officially in January but in reality started rolling informally long before that. In June 2024, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre was the first to say he wanted the job, followed in August by Charles Milliard, a pharmacist and former president of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. Other candidates followed, defying early predictions that few contenders would emerge to lead a party so apparently out of step with Quebecers. After Milliard, Marc Bélanger, a lawyer specializing in international taxation, hopped into the race followed by former federal Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez in September. Beauce farmer and economist Mario Roy quietly entered the race in January by informing his local newspaper. In March, the final candidate to step forward was former Roberval Liberal MNA Karl Blackburn, who had considered running earlier, then decided not to because of health reasons. Given a clean bill of health after the Christmas holidays, he entered the race March 30, rapidly collecting the necessary signatures and the $40,000 entry fee. In theory, that would have meant six candidates in the race, but in February after the Liberal party's election committee said he did not fulfil all the requirements, Coderre dropped out of the race, leaving five people on the ballot for the June 14 vote. Coderre left complaining he was unfairly treated. The official campaign, which included a total of six debates, kicked off Jan. 13 but was rapidly overshadowed by a series of events out of the control of the Liberals. In delivering his end-of-session greetings June 6 in the legislature, interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay, in his last hours in the role before being replaced June 14, used humour to say some times even the best-laid plans do not always pan out. 'What extraordinary timing (for the race),' he joked. 'Trump is elected, Trump imposes tariffs, the federal Liberals have a leadership race, there is a federal election, the Canadiens make the series, the Pope dies, a Pope is elected. 'June 14? Habemus papam in the Quebec Liberal Party. We can't wait, we can't wait.' The candidates, nevertheless, cranked up their campaign machinery. While there was less of a buzz in the general population, Liberals, including many veterans who had not been seen in years, showed up for the debates. Over the campaign, Rodriguez picked up the support of the greatest number of Liberal caucus members with a total of 10 MNAs on his team. Milliard got five. The other candidates got none. During the debates, it became apparent the five candidates had similar policy positions — with nuances — but where they differed was in their backgrounds and personalities. Rodriguez, who was perceived as the front-runner in the race, was often the main punching bag of the other candidates during debates. Blackburn, in particular, questioned whether it was a good idea to have a former federal MP from the Trudeau years lead the party when it desperately needs to woo francophone nationalists back into the fold. Rodriguez countered saying since he was the best known of the candidates, the one with the most real political experience and that he stood the best chance of beating Legault and the Parti Québécois in the 2026 election. The race helped the Liberals another way. As of the cutoff date to buy a membership and be eligible to vote in the leadership election, party membership had grown to 20,495 from an all-time low of about 10,000. So who will win? It is almost impossible to predict given the voting system in place. The party has opted for a points system with each of Quebec's 125 ridings assigned 3,000 points. Of the 3,000 points, 1,000 are in the hands of youth members ages 25 and under. To win, a candidate has to obtain a majority of the 375,000 points. If no candidates gets a majority on the first ballot, a second is held between the two candidates with the most votes. That's why candidates were working hard until the last minute in the hopes of wooing Liberals into making their candidate their second or third choice. But even after winning over the party, the winner faces other challenges in the coming weeks, starting with rebuilding a party on the outs with voters. There is also the matter of a seat in the legislature. None of the candidates are elected. While the new leader might decide to wait until 2026 to run for office, a seat in the National Assembly would give the person greater visibility because the Liberals form the official opposition. There is currently one vacant seat, Arthabaska, but no date has been set for a byelection. The riding was won in 2022 by the CAQ. The PQ, Quebec Conservatives and Québec solidaire have named their candidates, but the CAQ and Liberals have not. In theory, the new leader could run there, but the risk of losing is probably too high. The last time Arthabaska voted Liberal was 2008. There is another option. The winner could appeal to a member of the Liberal caucus to step aside and spark a byelection in a riding with deeper Liberal roots.
Montreal Gazette
03-06-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Quebec Liberal leadership race a clash of visions
After a year-long leadership race, in less than a week, members of the Quebec Liberal Party will begin voting to choose their new leader. The winner will be announced on June 14 in Quebec City. Five candidates are competing to succeed Dominique Anglade. Among them, former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez is widely seen as the front-runner. However, within Liberal circles, a growing number of members are joining what they call the 'ABP Movement' — 'Anyone But Pablo.' These critics argue that while Rodriguez is certainly the most recognizable candidate among the general public, that doesn't necessarily make him the best positioned to defeat the CAQ'S François Legault and the PQ's Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in 2026. And they may have a point. Because Rodriguez carries significant political baggage. While extensive political experience can sometimes be an asset, his close association with former prime minister Justin Trudeau may prove more of a liability these days, especially given his long tenure as Trudeau's Quebec lieutenant. Whenever Rodriguez will criticize the Legault government's handling of public finances, he'll be reminded that he was part of a federal government that posted record deficits year after year for a decade. Under his leadership, the QLP could struggle to rebuild its reputation as the party of sound economic management and fiscal responsibility. When it comes to immigration, Rodriguez's past might again work against him. He was part of the ultra-multiculturalist government that mishandled the Roxham Rd. situation. As leader, he could find it difficult to bring back nationalists and soft federalists who have shifted their support to the CAQ since 2018. Rodriguez is also seen by many as being too closely tied to Montreal. For a party that desperately needs to expand its base beyond the metropolitan area, this would potentially be a serious obstacle. So, this is more than just a typical leadership race — it's a battle between two ideological currents within the Liberal family. On one side, the Trudeau-style Liberals, more inclined to the left and in favour of multiculturalism. They're usually backing Rodriguez. On the other, the fiscally conservative, more nationalist Liberals. Those who want to see their party go back to the core values that brought the party success during the years of Robert Bourassa and Jean Charest. Their vote is currently split between two high-profile candidates: Karl Blackburn, former MNA and president of the Conseil du patronat du Québec; and Charles Milliard, former CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. This division in the centre-right vote should normally work to Rodriguez's advantage. But it's not that easy. The QLP's voting system resembles a general election: It's not the total number of votes that matters, but how candidates perform in each riding, which all carry an equal amount of points, regardless of the number of party members. That means a vote in the West Island — where Liberal membership is dense — is worth less than in regions like Saguenay or Gaspésie. Given that Rodriguez's support is mainly concentrated around the Montreal area, there's potential for surprises on June 14. The stakes are high: This leadership race could drastically redefine what it means to be a Quebec Liberal. Since Jean Lesage in the 1960s, Quebec Liberals have always taken pride on not being perceived as a mere provincial wing of their federal counterpart. Electing Rodriguez could blur that distinction in the eyes of many Quebecers — and further deepen the party's disconnect with francophone voters in the rest of the province. The QLP now stands at a crossroads. Its 20,000 members are facing a defining choice that will determine whether the party will remain on the opposition benches for a long time, or if it will begin to reclaim its place as Quebec's traditional governing force — a role it has held for close to 150 years. In less than two weeks, we'll know which path they've chosen.
Montreal Gazette
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Libman: Hopeful signs from Quebec Liberal leadership candidates
Since Confederation the Quebec Liberal Party has governed the province longer than all other parties combined. In the last election, the Liberals suffered their worst defeat ever, prompting Dominique Anglade to resign as leader. They have since languished in polls, failing to reach double-digit support among francophone voters who make up about 80 per cent of the population. The Liberals are now set to finally choose their new leader next month in what has been a low-profile leadership race, overshadowed by the federal election and events south of the border. Despite the challenges, an impressive array of five candidates are vying for the job. In 10 leadership contests since 1938 (prior to which Liberal leaders were chosen by the caucus) never has there been that many aspirants. With the Coalition Avenir Québec government seemingly having outlived its welcome, and the Parti Québécois bent on a sovereignty referendum during uncertain economic times, the Liberals see an opening. I attended the party's English leadership debate at John Abbott College last weekend. All candidates laced into the divisive language and identity politics of the CAQ and PQ. And it wasn't just pandering to an English crowd; francophone journalists were present, too. Without saying they would scrap Bill 96, the candidates identified several irritants in the language law they said they would dismantle. Some also committed to reversing the government's tuition attack on English universities. All were forceful in highlighting the distinction between protecting French and subjugating the rights of the anglophone community, its institutions and services. The message that protecting French is not a zero-sum game was refreshing to hear. Hopefully the new leader won't back down when faced with inevitable attacks from the other parties and nationalist opinion leaders for being 'anti-french' — but rises above these tired divisive notions and acts as an agent of change. At the same time, party members must choose a leader who can embody renewal and stand as a dynamic alternative to the PQ's Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who continues to lead in the polls. Many believe former federal Montreal MP Pablo Rodriguez is the front-runner. He has the support of half the 20-member Liberal caucus. D'Arcy-McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass described him to me as the embodiment of 'the modern Quebec success story that (Premier François) Legault is trying to tear down — a former refugee having integrated and risen to high political office.' His story is compelling, and he has substantive experience, but I question how this narrative will play in the regions where the Liberals must make inroads. Since 1879 every premier has been a native Quebecer. Rodriguez's affiliation with Justin Trudeau, often criticized for supposedly encroaching into Quebec's jurisdiction, won't help. Marc Bélanger, a lawyer and expert in taxation and international law, distinguished himself when it came to issues of tariffs and trade. Karl Blackburn, former MNA and head of the Conseil du patronat du Québec, who brings strong economic and organizational credentials, came off as genuine. Agricultural producer and economist Mario Roy was engaging. But to me none of these three stood out as breaths of fresh air. As an objective observer seeing them in person for the first time, I felt Charles Milliard exuded an energy that could capture the imagination of most Quebecers. The former head of the Fédération des chambres de commerce is perfectly bilingual, polished and articulate, easily communicating ideas and convictions. As a pharmacist, Milliard also brings depth when it comes to health care, which is top of mind for most Quebecers. At 47, he's even younger than PSPP, against whom the general election in 2026 may play out. Anglos have been railroaded by the CAQ and have often felt abandoned by the Quebec Liberals. If this debate was any indication, there may be some hope that things can be different. But first, party members must pick a candidate who can win the election.
