It’s not the place you might expect two hearts to come together, but Liberal MNAs Greg Kelley and Marwah Rizqy found love at the Quebec National Assembly.
The couple married in September this year, but in an exclusive interview with Global News, they spoke candidly about how politics and personal tribulations are putting their new marriage to the test.
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“I took Marwah on a very romantic honeymoon to the National Assembly,” Kelley joked.
“But we’re happy to be at home right now and just spend a little time closer to home, sleeping in our own bed every night and finding some time to do some work in our ridings,” he said.
A budding romance began for the two at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown in March 2020. Rizqy explained that’s when she realized she missed seeing her colleague every day. Kelley said the feeling was mutual for him.
“It was definitely during the pandemic. The first couple of weeks were tough for everyone, but really tough on me and my family. There were cases going around and she was there for me. We were talking every single day and at some point, I started to realize she’s not just a colleague and a friend,” he said.
Beyond beginning in the pandemic, their love story has not been without challenge.
A short time after their wedding, the couple received tragic news.
“My best friend, Julien Brossard – we knew each other since law school and he was my best man at my wedding. He gave us a beautiful speech full of love. Two weeks later he went on a trip with his boyfriend and he never returned because his plane crashed and everyone inside died,” Rizqy said.
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“And it’s shocking how you can be with someone (and) so happy and just a few days later, the person that you loved for so many years is gone,” she said.
Kelley and Rizqy also opened up about their struggles with infertility. During the fall session, the couple experienced a failed attempt at IVF. Rizqy said it was a roller-coaster of emotions for her and she was even forced to take some time away from the National Assembly to deal with health issues.
“We go to the clinic … and I see all the other couples, women, trying to have a baby and it’s not easy,” said Rizqy, who is turning 37. “I feel you, all the women out there, I feel you.”
“For now our fingers are crossed and we’re just thankful we’re in the system and we have very good doctors who are working with us and we’ll hopefully have some very positive news in the new year,” Kelley said.