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Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez has expelled Marwah Rizqy from caucus.
The decision comes exactly two weeks after Rizqy, the MNA for the Montreal riding of Saint-Laurent, was suspended for what the party described as a ”breach of trust.”
”By choosing to act alone and place herself above the team, Marwah Rizqy broke the bond of trust necessary to move forward together,” Rodriguez said in a statement Tuesday.
”She made her choice. I made mine. The distractions are over. Now we are focusing on what really matters: the priorities of Quebecers.”
Rizqy was suspended from caucus and removed from her role as parliamentary leader after she unilaterally fired her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse.
Hinse served as his chief of staff when he was the Quebec lieutenant under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal government. She followed Rodriguez into Quebec politics after he left Ottawa.
WATCH | Quebec Liberal Party leader boots Marwah Rizqy from caucus:
Marwah Rizqy kicked out of Quebec Liberal caucus
The decision comes two weeks after the MNA for the Montreal riding of Saint-Laurent was suspended and removed from her role as parliamentary leader for the unilateral firing of her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse. Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez says Hinse will be reinstated.
Shortly after releasing his statement, Rodriguez announced at a news conference that he would reinstate Hinse to her position.
Rodriguez said he had seen no reason why Hinse should have been fired and Rizqy has so far not provided him with an explanation.
“There’s an obligation to report to the leader,” Rodriguez said. “I left her a lot of time. If she doesn’t report to her leader, that’s a lack of loyalty to the leader, the party and its volunteers.”
In a statement published later Tuesday on social media, Rizqy said she acknowledges Rodriguez’s decision to remove her from caucus.
“Since day one of my election as MNA for Saint-Laurent, I have represented my fellow citizens with dedication and rigor,” she said. “I would like to reiterate and assure them that I will continue to represent them with the same high standards as an Independent MNA.”
Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez, centre, spoke to reporters Tuesday at the National Assembly about his decision. (Jean-Michel Cloutier/Radio-Canada)
Party in crisis
In duelling lawyers’ letters last month, Hinse accused Rizqy of firing her “without grounds.”
In a response letter obtained by Radio-Canada, Rizqy’s lawyers said Hinse is “well aware of the reasons that led to the termination of her employment.”
The letter also states Hinse’s “dismissal was due to significant ethical breaches,” which were compounded by “repeated acts of insubordination.”
Hinse has since filed a lawsuit in Quebec Superior Court seeking $500,000 in punitive and moral damages from Rizqy.
Shortly after Rizqy’s firing of Hinse, and subsequent suspension, the Journal de Montréal published text messages between what it said were “two individuals who were actively working to elect Mr. Rodriguez as leader.”
The alleged text messages referred to the sale of membership cards and money spent to get people to vote for Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has since said his party will investigate the allegations of vote buying.
