The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez PC
Rodriguez in 2023
Leader of the Quebec Liberal Party
Incumbent
Assumed office June 14, 2025
President	Rafael Primeau Ferraro
Preceded by	Marc Tanguay (interim)
Federal ministerial positions 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[a] 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 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 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 forHonoré-Mercier
In office October 19, 2015 – January 20, 2025[1]
Preceded by	Paulina Ayala
Succeeded by	Éric St-Pierre
In office June 28, 2004 – May 2, 2011
Preceded by	Yvon Charbonneau
Succeeded by	Paulina Ayala
Personal details
Born	(1967-06-21)June 21, 1967 (age 58) San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
Nationality	Canadian Argentine [2]
Political party	Quebec Liberal Party
Other political affiliations	Liberal Party of Canada Independent (2024–2025)
Spouse	Roxane Hardy
Residence(s)	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce,[3]Montreal,Quebec, Canada
Alma mater	University of Sherbrooke (BBA)
Profession	Communication consultant
Website	[1]

Pablo Rodriguez (born June 21, 1967) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of theQuebec Liberal Party since 2025. He formerly represented the federal electoral district ofHonoré-Mercier as aLiberal in theHouse of Commons from 2015 to 2025, and previously from 2004 to 2011.

He previously served in the29th Canadian Ministry asminister of Transport,^[4]minister of Canadian Heritage, theGovernment Chief Whip, andLeader of the Government in the House of Commons at various points from 2017 to 2024.^[5] Additionally, he was his party'sQuebec lieutenant from 2019 until 2024.^[6] Rodriguez resigned from cabinet and thefederal Liberal caucus on September 19, 2024, in order to run for the leadership of theQuebec Liberal Party. He continued to sit as an MP until January 20, 2025, when theQuebec Liberal leadership campaign period began.^[7] He won the second round with 52.3% of the popular vote overCharles Milliard.^[8]

Rodriguez was born on June 21, 1967, inSan Miguel de Tucumán,Argentina.^[9] When he was eight, Rodriguez's family fled to Canada after their home was bombed during theDirty War, and his father was repeatedly jailed and tortured for his activism.^[10]

Prior to entering politics, Rodriguez, who has a degree in business administration from theUniversity of Sherbrooke, worked in public affairs and international development for a Montreal-basedNGO.^[4]

He was the Vice President ofOxfam Québec from 2000 to 2004.^[11]

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Rodriguez was elected as aLiberal to theHouse of Commons of Canada for theQuebec riding ofHonoré-Mercier in2004,2006 and2008. For most of his first stint in Parliament, he was the only Liberal representing a riding in eastern Montreal, a longstanding stronghold for theBloc 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 theConservative government 60 days to come up with a plan to respect Canada's engagements under theKyoto 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 ofMichael Ignatieff's candidacy in the2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election.^{[citation needed]}

On April 16, 2010, Rodriguez was charged under theCriminal Code of Canada, after he collided hisBMW with a parked car inMontreal.^[12] Police attending the crash reported Rodriguez had bloodshot eyes and alcohol on his breath, and during attempts to administer abreathalyzer test, Rodriguez "breathed very weakly and cut his breath repeatedly, all the while holding the plastic tip at the edge of his lips".^[13]

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".^[14]

Despite the criminal charge, Rodriguez remained in the Liberal caucus.^[15]

In the2011 election he was defeated by theNew Democratic Party'sPaulina Ayala amid theNew Democratic Party's surge in Quebec.

Rodriguez sought a rematch with Ayala in the2015 election. Amid a Liberal surge almost as large as the NDP's surge four years earlier, he defeated Ayala to return to Parliament.

Rodriguez served asChief Government Whip for a year and a half from January 30, 2017.

Rodriguez served in the42nd Canadian Parliament as theMinister 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 theCanada Periodical Fund from magazine-format monthlies to daily broadsheets. This was announced inBill Morneau's November 21, 2018 "fiscal update" as a $600-million slush fund over five years.^[16][17] The measure was widely applauded in the press "by an eclectic group of media outlets, includingPostmedia, which owns theNational Post,Torstar, which publishes theToronto Star,SaltWire Network, and theCBC among others."^[18]

Rodriguez was re-elected in the 2019 federal election.

From formation on November 20, 2019 until dissolution, Rodriguez served asLeader of the Government in the House of Commons.

After the2021 election, Rodriguez was re-appointed asMinister of Canadian Heritage on October 26, 2021.

He introduced theOnline News Act, Bill C-18,An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada.^[19] It received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023. The bill would force tech giants to compensate news organizations. The Trudeau 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.^[20]

In 2020,Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Canadian Heritage at the time, proposed Bill C-10, however, due to suspension of parliament in 2021, and the call of an early election, permanently paused the bill.^[21] After Rodriguez became the Minister of Canadian Heritage, he proposed Bill C-11, theOnline Streaming Act,An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.^[22] C-11 later passed both the House of Commons and theSenate, receivingroyal consent on April 27, 2023, and becoming law.^[22] C-11 amends the broadcasting act, created in 1968, by creating a framework that online broadcasters, such asNetflix,Disney+, andSpotify must follow.^[23] It expands the power of theCanadian Radio Television-Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, giving the CRTC flexibility on how to do the regulations.^[23] The goal of C-11 is topromoteCanadian Content, and extend its beliefs online.^[23][24] Proponents of C-11, such as Neal McDougall ofTVO, argue that C-11 modernizes the ageingBroadcasting Act, ensuring online streamers and Canadian broadcasters play by the same rules, and promotes Canadian content andculture.^[25] However, C-11 has also been criticized, such as byDr.Michael Geist, who argues multipledefinitions were left undefined in C-11, including definitions on Canadian Content and mandated contributions.^[26]

On July 26, 2023, Rodriguez was appointedMinister of Transport.^[27]

After weeks of speculation,^[28] Rodriguez announced on September 19, 2024, that he was resigning from the federal cabinet in order to run for theleadership of the Quebec Liberal Party, and would resign from the Liberal caucus to sit as anindependent in order to have the flexibility to run his campaign as he saw fit.^[7] Rodriguez sat as an independent MP until officially entering the race and resigning his seat on January 20, 2025.^[1][7]

• Pablo Rodriguez – Parliament of Canada biography
• Official website of Pablo Rodriguez
• Bio & mandate from the Prime Minister

• Quebec political party leaders
• 1967 births
• Canadian people of Argentine descent
• Argentine emigrants to Canada
• Francophone Quebec people
• Liberal Party of Canada MPs
• Living people
• Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec
• Naturalized citizens of Canada
• People from San Miguel de Tucumán
• Politicians from Montreal
• Université de Sherbrooke alumni
• Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
• Members of the 29th Canadian Ministry
• Culture ministers of Canada
• Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons
• 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada

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