Look for a more focused Heritage leader
OTTAWA – Pablo Rodriguez, MP for the Montreal riding of Honore-Mercier, was named Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism Wednesday as part of a cabinet shuffle announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Rodriguez takes on the portfolio from Mélanie Joly, who was shuffled over to become Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, a new role that was reportedly pulled together from parts of other cabinet ministers’ portfolios. The reporters and other folks who regularly follow Ottawa say that this is a demotion for Joly.
According to the official announcement, Minister Rodriguez “will help ensure the vitality of Canadian arts, culture, and heritage, while promoting the diversity and inclusion that makes Canada stronger." He will also play a key role in the Feds’ review of the Broadcasting Act, which is now under review, along with the Telecom and Radiocommunications Acts.
The tri-lingual Rodriguez (English, French and Spanish) is very well known in Quebec Liberal circles having been a force within it for years as president of the Quebec wing. He was also party whip prior to this appointment. While we don’t know him, we talked to a few folks who do, and they anticipate a far more focused Minister who will finally start to make some decisions – since all of Joly’s tenure seemed to be endless consultations and mixed (and mixed up) messages.
He certainly has a much less of a social media profile than the outgoing minister. His Instagram features a total of three photos.
“He’s practical,” said one broadcasting industry government relations expert who asked not to be named. “He won’t have two thousand meetings with people in the industry before he decides where he wants to go.”
“He will get down to work,” said another telecom industry Ottawa expert. “He’s not one for the long meeting.”
Certain industry stakeholders wasted little time before weighing in on Rodriguez’s appointment. “Mr. Rodriguez’s extensive international experience, coupled with his deep understanding of the culture portfolio, which he acquired during the time he served as critic for Canadian Heritage, will give the screen-based sector and all Canadian cultural industries much-needed continuity,” said Canada Media Fund president and CEO Valerie Creighton, in a statement.
“We look forward to working with Minister Rodriguez and our industry partners to reinforce Canada as a global leader in screen-based content production,” added AQPM president Hélène Messier, in their release.
The organizations also thanked Joly for her work with, and on behalf of, the industry.
“Mr. Rodriguez’s work protecting and promoting culture as Opposition Critic provide him with an understanding of Canada’s screen-based industry. We look forward to continue working with him to strengthen our Canadian screen industry, promote Canadian talent and deal with the challenges of the digital shift,” added ACTRA National executive director Stephen Waddell.
Speaking of that digital shift, the cabinet shuffle added a sort of a new ministry, naming Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison, who is president of the Treasury Board, as Minister of Digital Government, too. The government release didn’t really expand on what the new Ministry means, but Brison himself had this to say in a Facebook post:
“Today I am deeply honoured that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has added Minister of Digital Government to my duties. It affirms and enhances the work we have already begun. Government exists to improve the lives of people, and modern digital gives us more power to do that than at any point in our history.
“But getting digital government right actually means more than just timely, agile and user-friendly government services. Digital has the potential to help restore people’s faith in government to serve them, to listen to them, to understand and to respond to their needs.
“Together with the Chief Information Officer of Canada, the great new team at Canadian Digital Services and all the Treasury Board Secretariat family, I am truly excited about the vast new opportunities digital government offers all Canadians. Together, we’ll be redoubling our efforts to get it right,” reads the post.
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting expressed cautious optimism in its response to the cabinet shuffle.
“Friends is hopeful. Today’s appointment of Pablo Rodriguez as Minister of Canadian Heritage could signal that Ottawa is reconsidering its policy of giving preferential treatment to foreign internet giants like Facebook, Google and Netflix, who currently operate by their own rules,” said executive director and spokesperson Daniel Bernhard, in a statement.
Adding that “action is long overdue”, Bernhard offered more words of welcome. “Our message to Minister Rodriguez is this: the government must stop choosing California over Canada. We are encouraged that the government has recognized the need for change, and sincerely hope you will deliver."
