The ongoing dispute within the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) has taken a new turn. Geneviève Hinse is refuting accusations made by Marwah Rizqy regarding an alleged attempt to misuse National Assembly resources for partisan purposes.
In legal documents submitted to the Quebec Superior Court and disclosed by The Canadian Press, Hinse denies the claim that she proposed assigning parliamentary staff to do partisan work rather than their official duties, as alleged by Rizqy.
Following his election as the leader of the Liberals, Pablo Rodriguez, who did not hold a seat in the National Assembly, appointed Marwah Rizqy as the party’s parliamentary leader. Geneviève Hinse, a close associate of Rodriguez, then assumed the role of his chief of staff.
However, tensions arose between the two women, leading to Rizqy dismissing Hinse without consulting the Liberal leader. In response, Rodriguez expelled Rizqy from the party.
Hinse is now suing Rizqy for $500,000, claiming her dismissal was unwarranted.
In her defense statement, Rizqy contends that despite her warnings, Hinse and Rodriguez sought to breach National Assembly regulations by using Assembly-paid staff for partisan activities.
Hinse rebuts this by asserting that it is customary for staff and elected officials to dedicate additional hours to partisan work beyond their contractual limits, especially when supporting a leader without a legislative seat.
The conflict escalated when Rizqy alleged that Rodriguez wanted to hire special advisers using National Assembly funds for party-related tasks. Hinse denies any directive to hire these advisers through Assembly funds.
The fallout from Hinse’s dismissal triggered a crisis within the PLQ that culminated in Rodriguez’s resignation amid allegations of campaign finance irregularities.
Rizqy recently returned to the National Assembly, expressing peace with her actions despite the turmoil within the party. She refrained from elaborating due to a legal suit filed against her.
