Former Quebec Liberal Party Chief of Staff Accused of Rules Violation
The ex-chief of staff of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ), Geneviève Hinse, is facing allegations of attempting to manipulate National Assembly rules to benefit the then-leader, Pablo Rodriguez, as revealed by MNA Marwah Rizqy.
Rizqy, currently embroiled in a legal battle with Hinse over her contentious dismissal on November 17, argued that Hinse’s actions were aimed at favoring Rodriguez inappropriately.
The unfolding saga eventually led to Rodriguez’s resignation in December, mere months after assuming the leadership of the PLQ earlier in June.
Following his election victory, Rodriguez, who was not a National Assembly member, appointed Rizqy as the parliamentary leader and Hinse as chief of staff, given their prior collaborations during Rodriguez’s ministerial tenure in Ottawa.
However, tensions escalated between the two women, resulting in Rizqy terminating Hinse, prompting Rodriguez to expel Rizqy from the party caucus, with Rizqy now serving as an independent representative.
In her defense statement, Rizqy highlighted Hinse and Rodriguez’s alleged intent to breach National Assembly regulations by hiring personnel funded by the Assembly for partisan purposes, contrary to the rules.
One incident cited was a meeting on October 16 where Hinse proposed filling positions using Assembly funds for the benefit of Rodriguez, despite his non-elected status. Rizqy objected, emphasizing that the staff must be paid from party resources, not Assembly funds.
Additionally, an email from Hinse suggested misleadingly assigning job roles to link employees to an elected official, while they would actually be working for Rodriguez.
Further, on November 6, Rodriguez reportedly sought to hire two advisors using Assembly funds for party-related tasks, a move rebuffed by Rizqy, who insisted that such expenses should be covered by the PLQ, not public resources.
It is important to note that the allegations made by Rizqy are yet to be substantiated in court, with the case pending further legal proceedings.
