Listen to this article
Estimated 2 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.
Marc Tanguay, the longtime MNA for the eastern Montreal riding of LaFontaine, will assume a familiar role as the interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
Tanguay takes over a day after Pablo Rodriguez publicly announced his resignation as the party’s leader — after a six-month tenure marked by internal discord and allegations of vote-buying by party members during his leadership race.
Rodriguez has denied any wrongdoing.
His departure leaves the Liberals at a crossroads just 10 months before the next provincial election. Rodriguez said he leaves the post with his “head held high,” but added that he had become a distraction and that the focus should now be on the Quebec Liberal Party.
Tanguay was interim leader for over two years, starting in November 2022, following the resignation of Dominique Anglade.
Anglade stepped down a little more than a month after the Quebec provincial election — when the party hung onto its Official Opposition status but secured a little under 15 per cent of the popular vote, the lowest vote share in its history.
Tanguay was only replaced in June, when Rodriguez won the leadership race.
WATCH | Pablo Rodriguez opens up about decision to leave:
Pablo Rodriguez steps down as Quebec Liberal leader months after taking over
Pablo Rodriguez formally announced his resignation as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party on Thursday. The resignation comes after a six-month tenure marked by internal discord and allegations of vote-buying by party members during his leadership race. Rodriguez has denied any wrongdoing.
In a news released published Friday, the Quebec Liberal Party says Tanguay possesses deep knowledge combined with nearly 14 years of experience in parliament.
Tanguay thanked his colleagues for their continued trust and said the next step will be to find a permanent leader.
“Faced with the immense challenges confronting Quebecers, now more than ever, our great party must regain its capacity for action and embody progress,” he wrote in the news release.
He added that the party will be ready for the next election. In the following days the executive council for the party will meet to decide on the next steps, according to the news release.
