After the Parti Québécois won a minority government on Monday with only 28 per cent of the popular vote, some political commentators have downplayed the chances of a sovereignty referendum in Quebec.
Pablo Rodriguez has some qualms with this assessment — if history is any indication, the temperature can change swiftly when it comes to Quebec independence.
“That thing, the referendum, went from the project of a political party with limited means to the project and the mandate of the government of Quebec,” Rodriguez said, referring to the momentum of Quebec’s independence movement in the 1990s. “We almost lost a country in 1995.”
“I’m not sure we’re going to have a referendum, but don’t take anything for granted,” Rodriguez told hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand in this week’s episode of The Corner Booth.
Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Rodriguez, a former Liberal MP who briefly led the Quebec Liberal Party in 2025, came on the show to discuss the results of Quebec’s provincial election — as well as life after leaving politics.
Rodriguez stepped down as the provincial Liberal leader last winter after multiple internal crises rocked his party, including allegations of a vote-buying scheme. Inquiries into the scandal would later find no evidence of wrongdoing by Rodriguez.
With the ordeal behind him, will Rodriguez venture into politics again?
“It’s still in my blood; that’s the challenge. But I’m very happy where I am now, I have this chance to be an analyst commentator,” he said, referring to his new role as political analyst with Noovo Info.
As for where the Quebec Liberal Party stands now, Rodriguez says they’re on the road to recovery after a crushing defeat in 2022 — but a journey to leading Quebec would be a long one.
“I think they did pretty good, and I’m happy for them — but they mainly recuperated ridings they had lost that most of them were traditional Liberals. Now, they have to go a step further” and start a dialogue with the regions and with francophone Quebecers.
The Corner Booth is also available on The Gazette’s YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.