Quebec Liberal Leader Expels Another MNA Amid Turmoil

Quebec’s Liberal Party leader says he’s expelling MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier from caucus after becoming aware she is under investigation by the ethics commissioner.

Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez made the announcement in a Dec. 4 post on social media, saying he had been informed of the investigation and decided to suspend her from the caucus “for the duration of this investigation.”

The investigation comes after media reports alleging Lakhoyan Olivier was behind text messages suggesting those who supported Rodriguez in the leadership election earlier this year could receive cash rewards. She has denied the claims and sent a legal letter to one of the media outlets.

Quebec’s ethics commissioner office confirmed the investigation in a Dec. 4 statement, saying it was looking into whether Lakhoyan Olivier “used or allowed the use of state resources” for “partisan purposes.” It said it is also looking at the leadership race of the provincial Liberal Party.

The commissioner’s office said it can open an investigation whenever there are reasonable grounds to believe a breach may have occurred. The investigation will be “in-camera” and there will be no comments made during the process, according to the statement.

Lakhoyan Olivier said on social media she has always respected the rules, but accepts Rodriguez’s decision. She added that she will cooperate fully with the investigation and would not issue any further comments.

Lakhoyan Olivier is the second caucus member Rodriguez has suspended in recent weeks. Rodriguez also dismissed Marwah Rizqy from her position as parliamentary leader and suspended her from the caucus last month.

He announced this week Rizqy’s formal expulsion from caucus, saying she lacked loyalty to him and the party when she fired her chief of staff without first consulting him.

Rodriguez said Rizqy has “done a lot of damage” to the party since she fired Geneviève Hinse last month. He said the decision started an internal crisis.

“She chose to turn her back on our team,” Rodriguez previously told reporters. “Marwah Rizqy has made her choice. I made mine.”

Rizqy issued a statement after Rodriguez announced her expulsion. She said she has always represented her constituents with “dedication and rigour” and would continue to represent them as an independent.

She has not publicly stated why she fired Hinse, saying it was a human resources matter.

Rodriguez said he is looking to reinstate Hinse, adding that there was nothing that “demonstrates why we should not rehire her.”

Rodriguez has also announced an investigation into the allegations concerning his leadership campaign. He announced in a Nov. 19 social media post that he had asked the president of the party to commission an independent firm to look into the matter.

The issue first came to light when Le Journal de Montréal published an article last month alleging that two people who “actively worked” to elect Rodriguez as Liberal leader exchanged text messages indicating that certain members would receive a “browni”—a reference to a $100 bill—in return for their votes. The Journal did not disclose the identities of the individuals involved in the text messaging.

Rodriguez resigned last fall from the federal cabinet of then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to seek the leadership of Quebec’s Liberal Party. The formal federal transport minister won the provincial leadership race on June 14 after securing 52.3 percent of the points in the second round of voting.

The Canadian Press and Jennifer Cowan contributed to this article.