The National Assembly resumed sitting Tuesday after a week-long break, with MNAs returning to the legislature for the first time since internal turmoil erupted within both the Quebec Liberal Party and Quebec Solidaire.
Liberal MNA André Fortin rose in question period for the first time as the official opposition leader, taking over from Marwah Rizqy, who remains suspended from caucus after triggering a crisis in the party.
“Context is not great, let’s be honest with each other, but the job remains the job,” Fortin said.
Rizqy has been at odds with Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez since she unilaterally fired her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, without explaining her decision. Hinse and Rodriguez have long been close associates.
“I think it’s hurting the party,” Rodriguez said, adding he is still waiting for Rizqy to return his calls.
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Hinse is suing Rizqy for $500,000 for wrongful dismissal. In a social media post Sunday evening, Rizqy said she could not discuss the firing publicly because it is a human resources matter.
Rodriguez countered that Hinse has already authorized her to speak openly about the case. The Liberals confirmed Tuesday that the National Assembly’s ethics commissioner is now involved. Fortin said he wrote a formal letter asking the commissioner to provide guidance.
Rodriguez insisted the party remains behind him, even as he also works to contain corruption allegations. His leadership campaign is accused of paying people $100 to vote for him — an accusation he strongly denies.
An independent investigation, led by a retired judge, will examine text messages published by the Journal de Montréal. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said if the messages are authenticated, it would indicate fraud in the Liberal leadership race.
Meanwhile, Quebec Solidaire (QS) denied it is facing an internal crisis after ejecting high-profile MNA Vincent Marissal over the weekend.
The party says Marissal was removed after it emerged he had been in discussions with the Parti Québécois (PQ) about defecting.
Marissal sharply criticized QS as he left to sit as an independent, before softening his position in a later Facebook post. “We will let him live with his conscience,” QS Leader Ruba Ghazal said.
Rizqy was absent from the National Assembly on Tuesday, as was her husband, West Island Liberal MNA Greg Kelley. Marissal also did not attend the reopening of the session.
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