The Quebec Liberal Party is embroiled in a deepening crisis that began with a sudden firing and has escalated to include allegations of vote-buying, misuse of public funds, and now a police verification process. The turmoil comes at a critical time for the official opposition party as it prepares for the 2026 provincial election.
The Spark: REM Inauguration Conversation
According to a La Presse report, the current crisis may have unexpectedly begun during a conversation at the inauguration of the Réseau express métropolitain's Deux-Montagnes branch on November 14, 2025. The discussion involved Marwah Rizqy, then parliamentary leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, and Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury.
While El-Khoury initially denied having any discussion about Pablo Rodriguez's leadership race and insisted he had no connection to the campaign, La Presse later discovered he had actually raised funds for Rodriguez. El-Khoury subsequently clarified that his comments may have been "ambiguous" and explained that his exchange with Rizqy actually concerned her decision not to seek re-election and how she had inspired his daughter's political aspirations.
Rapid Escalation: Firings and Counter-Lawsuits
The drama within the party became public on November 17 when Marwah Rizqy fired her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, via a brief email to Liberal caucus members. The dismissal caught the party by surprise and reportedly related to alleged misuse of National Assembly funds for partisan activities, including Rodriguez's recent tour of the regions.
The following day, November 18, party leader Pablo Rodriguez responded by ousting Rizqy from her position as parliamentary leader, claiming he hadn't been consulted or given an explanation for Hinse's firing. Rodriguez replaced Rizqy with Pontiac MNA André Fortin and suspended her from the caucus indefinitely.
The conflict intensified on November 19 when Hinse fired back with a legal letter giving Rizqy 24 hours to admit the "absence of justified motive" for her dismissal. Hinse defended herself in a statement, saying: "I am obviously hurt by this situation, especially since I know nothing justifies my firing."
Vote-Buying Allegations Surface
On the same day as Hinse's legal response, the Journal de Montréal reported that Élections Québec was examining text messages that suggested Liberal Party members were paid to vote for Rodriguez in the leadership race. One exchange read: "So, everyone's going to get paid (this) week?" with the response: "Yes. And don't forget, we're only returning the membership cards on May 8 in case something goes wrong. All that's left is the voting process and they get a brownie for voting."
The term "brownie" is sometimes used as slang for a $100 bill. Cogeco political analyst Jonathan Trudeau claimed the exchanges were between CAQ MNA for Fabre, Alice Abou-Khalil, and Liberal MNA for Chomedey, Sona Lakhoyan Olivier, though both denied the accusations.
Rodriguez called in an external auditor to investigate the allegations, stating: "We have nothing to hide. I have nothing to hide. Nobody has anything to hide." Interestingly, the Directeur général des élections du Québec confirmed there are no rules against compensating someone for voting in a leadership race, though this practice is prohibited in general elections.
Legal Battles Intensify
On November 21, the conflict escalated further when Hinse filed a lawsuit claiming $500,000 in moral and punitive damages against Rizqy. The legal claim alleged that Rizqy had acted in bad faith and "completely resisted" attempts to consult with the National Assembly's ethics commissioner about operational issues, including what spending should be covered by public funds versus partisan activities.
The claim stated that "a conflict of personalities developed between the two, fed by Mme. Rizqy's mood swings" and noted that if Rizqy apologized in writing and admitted to a "grave error" in firing Hinse, she would drop the case.
Also on November 21, Rodriguez threatened to take the Journal de Montréal to court unless it shared more information about the alleged vote-buying scheme, demanding the names and phone numbers from the text exchange. "You cannot just put things like that in a paper and accuse people," he stated.
Police Verification and Ongoing Fallout
The situation reached a new level on November 26 when Quebec's Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC) confirmed it was verifying "allegations of reprehensible acts targeting the Liberal Party of Quebec" though it hadn't yet launched a formal investigation. UPAC indicated it would analyze the information before deciding whether to proceed with a full investigation.
Rodriguez responded by pledging full cooperation with UPAC, writing in a social media post: "If someone, somewhere, committed an illegal act or contrary to our ethics, the truth must come out and we will fully co-operate. If shortcomings are revealed, I will act. There is no place for this in the Liberal Party of Quebec. Tolerance zero. Period."
Background Context
The current crisis emerges against the backdrop of Rodriguez's relatively recent election as Quebec Liberal leader on June 14, 2025, when he won with 52.3% of the vote, narrowly defeating contender Charles Milliard who received 47.7%. Just five days later, on June 19, Rodriguez selected Rizqy to lead the party in the National Assembly since he wasn't an MNA himself.
The timing is particularly sensitive given Rodriguez's plans to run for a seat in the National Assembly in the 2026 provincial election. The party can ill afford internal divisions and scandal as it positions itself to challenge the Coalition Avenir Québec government.
Both Premier François Legault and Rodriguez have since stated they would support changing the law if vote-buying in leadership races is indeed legal, indicating the scandal may have broader implications for Quebec's political financing regulations.
