Pablo Rodriguez leaves door open to recruiting former CAQ member Pierre Dufour
Posted September 9, 2025 12:57 pm.
Last Updated September 9, 2025 1:12 pm.
Pablo Rodriguez is not ruling out recruiting former CAQ member Pierre Dufour as a candidate in the upcoming elections: “A damn good guy,” according to the Liberal leader.
“When I saw how he was treated by Mr. Legault because he stood up for his region, I called him. We had a very friendly chat, but I wanted to commend his courage,” Rodriguez explained on the sidelines of his party’s caucus in Quebec City on Tuesday.
Premier François Legault expelled Dufour, the member for Abitibi-Est, from the CAQ caucus last week because he had suggested to La Presse that he might resign if the premier did not appoint an elected representative from the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region as a minister.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us to deliver the changes Quebecers expect. The government team is and must remain united,” Legault said in a statement on Friday.
Dufour insisted that he had always acted according to his convictions.
“It’s not normal for a party leader to kick out a member of parliament because he stands up to defend his region,” added Rodriguez.
The Liberal leader did not want to give details about his conversation with Dufour.
“I think he’s going to take some time for himself. I respect that. (…) What he and I discuss will remain between him and me, just like the discussions I have with many other people,” said the Liberal leader.
When asked if he would join the PLQ, the Abitibi MP remained evasive.
“Pablo and I have known each other for about ten years. He called me out of courtesy to see how I was doing following the situation. I have also had various correspondences with other members of different parties and former colleagues,” he wrote in a text message to The Canadian Press.
Dufour ran for the federal Liberals in 2015.
Liberal MNA Monsef Derraji also had kind words for the Abitibi MNA.
“I had many discussions with him when I was leader on the forestry regime. He is someone who stands up and cares deeply about his region,” he said.
With a year to go before the next election, Rodriguez assured that many people were raising their hands to be candidates for the PLQ.
Parliamentary leader Marwah Rizqy said that 50 per cent of Liberal candidates must be recruited by December.
“We’re not naive. We have an election coming up, and we want to be very prepared. The leader has given us ambitious targets,” she said.
Recent polls show a resurgence for the Liberals since Rodriguez became leader. Nevertheless, the Parti Québécois still leads in voting intentions.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
