Pablo Rodriguez PC MP (born June 21, 1967) is a Canadian-Argentine politician. He previously served as Canada's minister of Transport from 2023 to 2024,[3] minister of Canadian Heritage (Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; 2018–2019), the Government Chief Whip, and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.[4] Additionally, he was his party's Quebec lieutenant from 2019 until 2024.[5] He represents Honoré-Mercier in the House of Commons as an independent.
Pablo Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
_12_-_Pablo_Rodriguez_(3-4_crop).jpg) Rodriguez in 2023 | |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office July 26, 2023 – September 19, 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Omar Alghabra |
| Succeeded by | Anita Anand |
| Minister of Canadian Heritage (Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; 2018–2019) | |
| In office October 26, 2021 – July 26, 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Steven Guilbeault |
| Succeeded by | Pascale St-Onge |
| In office July 18, 2018 – November 20, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Mélanie Joly |
| Succeeded by | Steven Guilbeault (Canadian Heritage) Marco Mendicino (Multiculturalism) |
| Leader of the Government in the House of Commons | |
| In office November 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Bardish Chagger |
| Succeeded by | Mark Holland |
| Chief Government Whip | |
| In office January 30, 2017 – August 31, 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Andrew Leslie |
| Succeeded by | Mark Holland |
| Member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Paulina Ayala |
| In office June 28, 2004 – May 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Yvon Charbonneau |
| Succeeded by | Paulina Ayala |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 21, 1967 San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina |
| Nationality |
|
| Political party | Independent (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse | Roxane Hardy |
| Residence(s) | Notre-Dame-de-Grâce,[2] Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Sherbrooke (BBA) |
| Profession | Communication consultant |
Rodriguez resigned from cabinet and the federal Liberal caucus on September 19, 2024, in order to run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party. He will continue to sit in the House of Commons as an independent until the Quebec Liberal leadership campaign period starts in January 2025.[6]
Early life and career
Rodriguez was born on June 21, 1967, in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.[7] When he was eight, Rodriguez's family fled to Canada after their home was bombed during the Dirty War, and his father was repeatedly jailed and tortured for his activism.[8]
Prior to entering politics, Rodriguez, who has a degree in business administration from the University of Sherbrooke, worked in public affairs and international development for a Montreal-based NGO.[3]
He was the Vice President of Oxfam Québec from 2000 to 2004.[9]
Federal politics
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (May 2019) |
Opposition MP
Rodriguez was elected as a Liberal to the House of Commons of Canada for the Quebec riding of Honoré-Mercier in 2004, 2006 and 2008. For most of his first stint in Parliament, he was the only Liberal representing a riding in eastern Montreal, a longstanding stronghold for the Bloc Québecois.
Rodriguez was chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, the Official Opposition’s Critic for of the Francophonie and Official Languages, and Critic for Public Works and Government Services Canada. He has served on many committees of the House of Commons, including the Committee of Canadian Heritage, Official Languages and the Public Accounts Committee.
On February 14, 2007, a bill Rodriguez put forward was passed by the Commons that would give the Conservative government 60 days to come up with a plan to respect Canada's engagements under the Kyoto Protocol.[clarification needed]
He is the Past President of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada.[citation needed]
He was the Quebec Chair of Michael Ignatieff's candidacy in the 2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election.[citation needed]
Criminal charge
On April 16, 2010, Rodriguez was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, after he collided his BMW with a parked car in Montreal.[10] Police attending the crash reported Rodriguez had bloodshot eyes and alcohol on his breath, and during attempts to administer a breathalyzer test, Rodriguez "breathed very weakly and cut his breath repeatedly, all the while holding the plastic tip at the edge of his lips".[11]
According to Rodriguez himself, "Because I'd consumed a moderate amount of wine during the previous supper, the police officer asked me to proceed with a breathalyzer test, using a hand-held machine, which I did without hesitation".[12]
Despite the criminal charge, Rodriguez remained in the Liberal caucus.[13]
In the 2011 election he was defeated by the New Democratic Party's Paulina Ayala amid the NDP's surge in Quebec.
In government
Rodriguez sought a rematch with Ayala in the 2015 election. Amid a Liberal surge almost as large as the NDP's surge four years earlier, he defeated Ayala to return to Parliament.
42nd Canadian Parliament
Rodriguez served as Chief Government Whip for a year and a half from January 30, 2017.
Rodriguez served in the 42nd Canadian Parliament as the Minister of Canadian Heritage from July 18, 2018 until dissolution of that government on November 20, 2019. One of his signature initiatives at Heritage was the expansion of the Canada Periodical Fund from magazine-format monthlies to daily broadsheets. This was announced in Bill Morneau's November 21, 2018 "fiscal update" as a $600-million slush fund over five years.[14][15] The measure was widely applauded in the press "by an eclectic group of media outlets, including Postmedia, which owns the National Post, Torstar, which publishes the Toronto Star, SaltWire Network, and the CBC among others."[16]
43rd Canadian Parliament
Rodriguez was re-elected in the 2019 federal election.
From formation on November 20, 2019 until dissolution, Rodriguez served as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
44th Canadian Parliament
After the 2021 election, Rodriguez was re-appointed as Minister of Canadian Heritage on October 26, 2021.
He introduced C-18 An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada.[17] It received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023. The bill, which would force tech giants to compensate news organizations. Both Google and Meta announced their exits. The Government has dismissed the complaints of the tech giants will have to pay exorbitant amounts of money and would face uncapped liability based on how many links are posted.[18]
On July 26, 2023, Rodriguez was appointed Minister of Transport.[19]
Switch to provincial politics
After weeks of speculation,[20] Rodriguez announced on September 19, 2024 that he was resigning from the federal cabinet in order to run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party, and would resign from the Liberal caucus to sit as an independent in order to have the flexibility to run his campaign as he saw fit.[6] Rodriguez will sit as an independent MP until officially entering the race and resigning his seat in January 2025.[6]
Electoral record
| 2021 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodríguez | 29,033 | 60.0 | +1.3 | $39,670.10 | |||
| Bloc Québécois | Charlotte Lévesque-Marin | 7,908 | 16.3 | -3.5 | $3,008.90 | |||
| Conservative | Guy Croteau | 5,086 | 10.5 | +0.9 | $2,893.59 | |||
| New Democratic | Paulina Ayala | 3,537 | 7.3 | -0.9 | $433.46 | |||
| People's | Lucilia Miranda | 2,023 | 4.2 | +3.3 | $508.19 | |||
| Green | Bianca Deltorto-Russell | 734 | 1.5 | -1.2 | $0.00 | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Yves Le Seigle | 88 | 0.2 | +0.1 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 48,409 | 98.0 | – | $109,578.67 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 971 | 2.0 | ||||||
| Turnout | 49,380 | 64.1 | ||||||
| Registered voters | 77,078 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +2.4 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[21] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodríguez | 29,543 | 58.66 | +2.11 | $45,514.73 | |||
| Bloc Québécois | Jacques Binette | 9,979 | 19.81 | +6.88 | $7,951.83 | |||
| Conservative | Guy Croteau | 4,808 | 9.55 | -2.5 | $3,314.94 | |||
| New Democratic | Chu Anh Pham | 4,130 | 8.2 | -8.21 | none listed | |||
| Green | Domenico Cusmano | 1,373 | 2.73 | +1.15 | none listed | |||
| People's | Patrick St-Onge | 459 | 0.91 | – | $2,885.14 | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Yves Le Seigle | 71 | 0.14 | -0.02 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 50,363 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 1,013 | |||||||
| Turnout | 51,376 | 65.4 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 78,549 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -2.39 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[22][23] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodriguez | 29,211 | 56.55 | +23.5 | $53,622.10 | |||
| New Democratic | Paulina Ayala | 8,478 | 16.41 | -18.81 | $12,795.65 | |||
| Bloc Québécois | Audrey Beauséjour | 6,680 | 12.93 | -3.07 | $11,516.20 | |||
| Conservative | Guy Croteau | 6,226 | 12.05 | -0.96 | $3,697.33 | |||
| Green | Angela Budilean | 814 | 1.58 | -0.03 | – | |||
| Strength in Democracy | Dayana Dejean | 168 | 0.33 | – | – | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Yves Le Seigle | 81 | 0.16 | -0.19 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 51,658 | 100.0 | $213,214.66 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 682 | – | – | |||||
| Turnout | 52,340 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 78,428 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | +17.11 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[24][25] | ||||||||
| 2011 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Paulina Ayala | 17,545 | 36.37 | +26.26 | ||||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodriguez | 14,641 | 30.35 | -13.32 | ||||
| Bloc Québécois | Martin Laroche | 8,935 | 18.52 | -9.60 | ||||
| Conservative | Gérard Labelle | 5,992 | 12.42 | -2.88 | ||||
| Green | Gaëtan Bérard | 770 | 1.60 | -1.20 | ||||
| Rhinoceros | Valery Chevrefils-Latulippe | 181 | 0.38 | – | ||||
| Marxist–Leninist | Jean-Paul Bédard | 170 | 0.35 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 48,234 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 622 | 1.27 | -0.06 | |||||
| Turnout | 48,856 | 59.98 | -2.18 | |||||
| New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | +19.79 | ||||||
| 2008 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodríguez | 21,544 | 43.67 | +5.44 | $64,461 | |||
| Bloc Québécois | Gérard Labelle | 13,871 | 28.12 | −6.71 | $57,274 | |||
| Conservative | Rodrigo Alfaro | 7,549 | 15.30 | −2.14 | $35,152 | |||
| New Democratic | François Pilon | 4,986 | 10.11 | +3.89 | $1,499 | |||
| Green | Gaëtan Bérard | 1,380 | 2.80 | −0.13 | $1,387 | |||
| Total valid votes | 49,330 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 667 | 1.33 | ||||||
| Turnout | 49,997 | 62.16 | −2.71 | |||||
| Electors on the lists | 80,429 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +6.08 | ||||||
| Source: Official Voting Results, 40th General Election 2008, Elections Canada. | ||||||||
| 2006 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodríguez | 19,622 | 38.23 | −7.87 | $62,095 | |||
| Bloc Québécois | Gérard Labelle | 17,879 | 34.83 | −5.54 | $39,105 | |||
| Conservative | Angelo M. Marino | 8,952 | 17.44 | +11.42 | $62,813 | |||
| New Democratic | François Pilon | 3,191 | 6.22 | +2.13 | $2,374 | |||
| Green | Sylvain Castonguay | 1,502 | 2.93 | +1.16 | not listed | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Hélène Héroux | 183 | 0.36 | +0.02 | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes | 51,329 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 650 | 1.25 | ||||||
| Turnout | 51,979 | 64.87 | +3.23 | |||||
| Electors on the lists | 80,122 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -1.17 | ||||||
| Source: Official Voting Results, 39th General Election, Elections Canada. | ||||||||
| 2004 Canadian federal election: Honoré-Mercier | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Pablo Rodríguez | 22,223 | 46.10 | −11.76 | $78,649 | |||
| Bloc Québécois | Éric St-Hilaire | 19,461 | 40.37 | +10.02 | $13,063 | |||
| Conservative | Gianni Chiazzese | 2,902 | 6.02 | −2.28 | $5,060 | |||
| New Democratic | François Pilon | 1,973 | 4.09 | +2.81 | $885 | |||
| Green | Richard Lahaie | 852 | 1.77 | – | $0 | |||
| Marijuana | Steve Boudrias | 626 | 1.30 | −0.59 | none listed | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Hélène Héroux | 164 | 0.34 | +0.03 | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes | 48,201 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 854 | 1.74 | ||||||
| Turnout | 49,055 | 61.64 | ||||||
| Electors on the lists | 79,585 | |||||||
| Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election. | ||||||||
| Source: Official Voting Results, Thirty-Eighth General Election, Elections Canada. | ||||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -10.89 | ||||||
References
External links
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