Marwah Rizqy booted from Quebec Liberal caucus amid crisis in party

QUÉBEC – Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez has expelled his former parliamentary leader from his caucus, saying she lacked loyalty to him and to the party. 

On Tuesday, Rodriguez said Marwah Rizqy has “done a lot of damage” to the party since she fired her chief of staff last month and kicked off an internal crisis. 

“She chose to turn her back on our team,” he told reporters at the provincial legislature. “Marwah Rizqy has made her choice. I made mine.”

The expulsion is the latest development in a saga that has threatened to derail the provincial Liberal party over the last two weeks. Rodriguez initially suspended Rizqy from caucus after she fired her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, without consulting him. He says she has refused to explain her decision to him. 

In a short statement on Tuesday, Rizqy said she has always represented her constituents with “dedication and rigour.” 

“I would like to reiterate and assure them that I will continue to represent them with the same high standards as an Independent member of the legislature,” she said. 

Rizqy has refused to state publicly why she fired Hinse, saying the dismissal was a human resources matter. However, Rodriguez said Tuesday that he has begun discussions to reinstate Hinse and she is considering his offer. 

“There is nothing, in my view, that demonstrates why we should not rehire her,” he said. 

The Quebec Liberals are also facing allegations concerning the leadership race that Rodriguez won earlier this year. Last month, Québecor media published text messages suggesting some party members who voted for Rodriguez during the leadership race could have received cash rewards.

On Tuesday, Québecor published new allegations that an entrepreneur donated to Rodriguez’s campaign at the request of a businessman and friend who had promised him favours in return. The Canadian Press has not verified these allegations.

Rodriguez has announced an investigation of the allegations concerning his leadership campaign, and says anyone involved in such behaviour will be kicked out of the party. He has also said he has not seen any proof that the reported text messages were real.

On Tuesday, he said he sees “no connection” between those allegations and Rizqy’s dismissal of her chief of staff. “If anyone sees a link, please share it,” he said. 

Rodriguez also said he has reached out to Greg Kelley, another Liberal member of the legislature and Rizqy’s husband. 

“What I told Greg was that all of this is very difficult for him. I understand that when he wants to talk about it, we’ll talk about it,” Rodriguez said. “And that none of this changes his relationship with me.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2025.