Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Pablo Rodriguez has resigned as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, only six months after taking over the position, CBC News has confirmed.
Rodriguez announced the decision to his caucus on Wednesday afternoon, sources say. He is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday morning.
After weeks of turmoil within the Liberal ranks, sources told Radio-Canada that Rodriguez felt he had become too great a distraction and that his presence was hurting the party.
His departure leaves the Quebec Liberals without a leader just 10 months ahead of a much-anticipated provincial election, with the separatist Parti Québécois leading in the polls.
A growing chorus of Liberals had been calling on Rodriguez to resign in recent days. The pressure on Rodriguez further ramped up after allegations surfaced Tuesday of campaign donation reimbursements.
It is alleged that the host of a fundraising event handed back $500 in cash to roughly 20 people who could not afford the entry price, effectively covering their donations. Such a scheme is illegal under Quebec’s election laws.
In a statement Tuesday, the Liberal Party confirmed Rodriguez was present at the event, but maintained that neither he nor his team had any knowledge of the alleged payouts.
The allegations marked the latest blow to Rodriguez and the Liberals.
The political crisis began on Nov. 18, when Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy was suspended from caucus and removed from her position as parliamentary leader for firing her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, without consulting Rodriguez.
WATCH | Pablo Rodriguez resigns just 6 months after winning Quebec Liberal leadership:
Pablo Rodriguez resigning as Quebec Liberal leader
Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez has resigned from his post, according to Radio-Canada sources. Pressure on Rodriguez to resign ramped up after allegations of illegal campaign donations surfaced.
The next day, the Journal de Montréal published alleged text messages suggesting that some members of the party had received $100 to vote for Rodriguez in the party’s leadership race.
UPAC, Quebec’s anti-corruption police, has since launched an investigation into the alleged pay-for-vote scheme. Rodriguez has maintained he knew nothing about that arrangement as well.
Election next year
Rodriguez is a former MP and cabinet minister under the Trudeau government. He left federal politics in January 2025 to enter the leadership race for the Quebec Liberals.
He has only been at the helm of the party since winning the leadership in June.
The Liberals are the Official Opposition at Quebec’s National Assembly, with the governing Coalition Avenir Québec holding a significant majority.
The Parti Québécois has been leading in the polls for months, while support for the CAQ has plummeted. The election is set for October 2026.
Political science Prof. Daniel Béland, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, said the Quebec Liberals face a difficult road after Rodriguez’s resignation.
“They will have to act really fast — just like the Liberals did federally,” he told CBC Montreal’s Radio Noon, referring to Mark Carney’s leadership victory after Justin Trudeau’s departure.
He added that the Liberals must “look in the mirror” to avoid further controversies involving campaign financing. “It’s not just about changing the leader,” he said.
Former senator and columnist André Pratte, who recently chaired a policy commission for the Quebec Liberals, believes the party still has an opportunity to rebuild.
“People are looking for an alternative to the current government,” he told Radio-Canada.
WATCH | Federal finance minister has no plans to run for Quebec Liberals:
Champagne says he won’t run for Quebec Liberal leadership
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne was asked if he plans to run for leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party as sources tell CBC News that the party’s current leader Pablo Rodriguez is set to resign. ‘My way of serving Quebec and Quebecers has been to bring my voice to Ottawa,’ Champagne said.
