Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tapped Treasury Board President Anita Anand to take on additional duties as Canada's minister of transport on Thursday.
The minor shakeup to his front bench came as a result of longtime cabinet minister Pablo Rodriguez announcing that he was quitting as a minister to run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP).
His decision to get out of Trudeau鈥檚 government also left the Liberals without a Quebec lieutenant. Minister of Procurement Jean Yves Duclos is taking over that title.
Anand was sworn in to her new role in a brief ceremony at Rideau Hall on Thursday afternoon. Trudeau was not present, but Gov. Gen. Mary Simon was, as were a small number of staff and family members.
There are plans underway for a bigger shuffle in the next few months, sources tell 麻豆影视.
Speaking to reporters, Anand thanked Rodriguez for his contributions but dodged questions about what his departure means for the Liberals鈥� political fortunes.
鈥淚n terms of his decision, that is a decision that he made independently, and I wish him well,鈥� she said.
Rodriguez to sit as Independent
While Rodriguez has vacated his seat on the front bench, he will be staying on as the MP for Honoré-Mercier, Que. In a notable move, Rodriguez has decided to sit as an Independent MP until the launch of the leadership campaign next January.
Asked why he鈥檚 decided to stay on and separate himself in the House of Commons from the political party he鈥檚 been a part of for decades, Rodriguez said he wanted to avoid 鈥渁 costly byelection鈥� potentially months before a general election.
鈥淚 am running as an Independent because my priorities can no longer be those of a government, a government I have always served as a good team player, but today I have to set my own priorities and advance my own vision,鈥� he said in French.
First elected as an MP in 2004, Rodriguez was defeated by the NDP鈥檚 Paulina Ayala during the Orange Wave of 2011.
Rodriguez then won his seat back in 2015 and has since served in a series of cabinet roles, including as government leader in the House of Commons, and heritage minister.
His departure 鈥� while heavily speculated over the summer 鈥� comes just days after the Liberals lost a key byelection in another Montreal riding to the Bloc Quebecois.
The prominent Quebec politician is the latest in a growing number of high-profile Liberals moving away from team Trudeau.
Former labour minister Seamus O鈥橰egan announced in July he was stepping down from cabinet and would not seek re-election, and just before the fall sitting began, the Liberals鈥� national campaign director Jeremy Broadhurst quit.
More than a dozen Liberal MPs have also either stepped away or have announced they won鈥檛 be running for re-election.
Promises to vote in Quebec鈥檚 interest
Rodriguez鈥檚 run for the Quebec Liberal Party is to replace former leader Dominique Anglade, who stepped down in late 2022, a month after the party鈥檚 provincial election loss to Premier François Legault鈥檚 Coalition Avenir Quebec.
Today, Legault called on Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet to when given their first chance at a motion of non-confidence next week.
Blanchet has already said his party won鈥檛 be backing the Conservatives鈥� first attempt to trigger an early election. He doubled down on this position speaking to reporters on his way in to question period, saying he doesn鈥檛 see the logic in defeating Trudeau just to replace him with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh then confirmed his party also would not be backing the first non-confidence motion.
Asked how he intends to vote as a newfound Independent MP navigating the unstable minority Parliament dynamics, Rodriguez said he will vote for policies that he thinks are 鈥済ood for Quebec and for Quebecers.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about the Liberal government, this time, it's about me, my vision, what I'm going to propose鈥� It's not about the federal government anymore. They will do what they have to do, and I will do what I have to do on my side,鈥� Rodriguez said.
As for the looming non-confidence vote, Rodriguez said he doesn鈥檛 want a federal election right now, so he鈥檒l be voting against it.
In a statement, leadership rival Marc Bélanger welcomed Rodriguez into the race.
"His commitment to further defending Quebec's interests, beyond what he achieved as Quebec Lieutenant, is an encouraging sign. This campaign will finally give him the opportunity to be more present on the ground, to step outside of Montreal, and to meet with Quebecers across all regions of the province,鈥� he said in a statement.
Members of the QLP are set to vote to elect their new leader at their party convention next June.
With files from 麻豆影视鈥� Vassy Kapelos, Brennan MacDonald, Spencer Van Dyk and Mike Le Couteur
