Five things to know about the crisis that could unseat the Quebec Liberal leader

MONTREAL — Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez is fighting to keep his job as allegations pile up about the leadership race he won in June.

On Tuesday, the former federal cabinet minister was forced to respond to the latest in a series of troubling media reports about his leadership campaign. Earlier in the day, Le Journal de Montréal reported that around 20 donors to Rodriguez’s campaign received envelopes containing $500 in cash to reimburse their donations during a fundraising event in April.

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In a statement, Rodriguez’s leadership campaign said he was at the event but had no knowledge of money changing hands. The statement said he had instructed a lawyer to file a complaint with Quebec’s anti-corruption police.

The party is already facing a criminal investigation by the anti-corruption unit, which Rodriguez has said he welcomes. But as the controversy drags on, some prominent Liberals are calling for him to resign.

Here are five things to know about the crisis that has thrown the Quebec Liberals into turmoil.

How did it start?

In mid-November, Le Journal de Montréal published text messages suggesting some party members who voted for Rodriguez in the leadership race could have received cash rewards.

The Canadian Press has not verified whether the text messages were authentic.

The report came out shortly after the Liberals’ former parliamentary leader, Marwah Rizqy, fired her chief of staff without first consulting Rodriguez. It’s unclear whether the two stories are connected.

Rodriguez later expelled Rizqy from his caucus, saying she had not explained her reasons to him and that she lacked loyalty. Rizqy has not publicly explained her decision, saying it is a human resources matter.

What have we learned since then?

In the weeks following that initial report, Quebec media have published a steady drip of stories alleging questionable decisions and use of funds during the leadership race. The allegations published Tuesday about donations being reimbursed appear to be a violation of Quebec’s Election Act, which states that all contributions “must be made voluntarily, without compensation and for no consideration, and may not be reimbursed in any way.” The Canadian Press has not confirmed the allegations.

To the surprise of many Quebec politicians, it emerged during the controversy that the Election Act did not prohibit vote-buying in leadership races – a loophole that has since been closed through the unanimous adoption of a new law in the provincial legislature last week.

What has Rodriguez said about the allegations?

The Liberal leader has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and has said he wants to shed light on the affair. He has asked a retired judge to investigate the claims, and has said anyone found to have done anything wrong will face consequences.

The statement on Tuesday said the leadership campaign had identified the person responsible for reimbursing donations at the April event. The person had taken the initiative to reimburse certain employees who could not afford to attend the fundraiser, the campaign said.

“This action is unacceptable, unethical, contrary to the rules in force, and was never part of the campaign’s practices,” the statement says. “It was taken without authorization, without instruction, and without the knowledge of Pablo Rodriguez and his team.”

What is the fallout?

Quebec’s anti-corruption police confirmed last week they were launching an investigation of the provincial Liberals, though they provided no details about the nature of the probe. Rodriguez has also removed a second Liberal member of the legislature from his caucus because of a separate investigation by Quebec’s ethics commissioner.

The office of the ethics commissioner said it would examine whether Sona Lakhoyan Olivier used resources from her constituency office for partisan purposes during the leadership race. Montreal radio station 98.5 FM named Lakhoyan Olivier as one of the two people behind the text messages reported by Le Journal de Montréal, but she has denied that claim and has sent a legal letter to station owner Cogeco.

The Liberal caucus has not yet turned against Rodriguez publicly, but other prominent Liberals, including some former ministers, have called for him to step aside for the good of the party.

What’s at stake here?

Quebec’s next election must be held by October 2026, though it could be called earlier. The government of Premier François Legault has collapsed in the polls and is at risk of being wiped off the electoral map, while the sovereigntist Parti Québécois has been leading for the last two years.

Rodriguez has presented the Liberals as the only viable alternative to the PQ, whose leader has promised to hold a third referendum on independence by 2030 if his party forms government next year.

The Liberals have struggled for years to connect with francophone voters in regions of Quebec outside Montreal, but Rodriguez pitched himself as a unifier who would restore the party’s popularity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2025.

Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press