Quebec Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez dogged by party vote-buying scandal
The Quebec Liberal Party is in crisis, with leader and former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez demanding an outside investigation into serious new vote-buying allegations
The Quebec Liberal Party is in crisis, with leader and former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez demanding an outside investigation into serious new vote-buying allegations that are threatening to tear the Official Opposition apart just ahead of the 2026 election.
Rodriguez announced Tuesday he has asked the party’s president to retain an independent firm to investigate new, but publicly undetailed, cash-for-votes allegations.
“The allegations published today are serious,” Rodriguez wrote on social media, adding the party wants full transparency and a thorough analysis of the facts.
The Journal de Montréal published screenshots of text messages on Wednesday that allegedly appear to show party operatives discussing payments tied to get out to vote efforts.
One message reads, “Have you had the chance to collect the membership cards?” followed shortly by “The money also?” and a reply: “Yes, everything is done.” In another exchange, a sender asks if everyone will be paid that week for their cards. The response outlines a plan to delay submitting memberships “just in case something goes wrong,” and to offer a “brownie for voting” on the day of the election. The sender then adds, “That’s how I won my nomination. So bro, everyone is aware.”
The call for an external investigation comes one day after Rodriguez suspended MNA Marwah Rizqy from caucus and removed her as parliamentary leader, citing a “breach of trust” related to her firing of chief of staff Geneviève Hinse.
The decision appeared to catch the party’s leadership off guard and triggered fresh tensions within the caucus. Rizqy has not publicly commented on the dismissal.
Rodriguez and Rizqy had long-standing political ties. She supported his 2025 leadership bid and was tapped to serve as the party’s voice in the National Assembly until the next election. She also ran as a Federal Liberal candidate under Justin Trudeau in 2015, losing by a slim margin to the NDP candidate. Her sudden removal has further fuelled speculation of deepening disarray within the party.
Rodriguez’s request for an external investigation follows a separate report alleging internal vote-buying schemes, with questions emerging about whether senior party officials had knowledge of cash-for-votes activity.
These dual controversies have rocked a party already struggling to rebuild its identity after years of decline. The Quebec Liberals were reduced to official opposition status in 2022 and have been out of government since 2012.
Recent aggregate polling displayed on 338 Canada shows the pro-sovereignty Parti Québécois holding a clear lead ahead of the 2026 provincial election, with the Liberals trailing in second place. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party of Quebec, led by Éric Duhaime, is gaining ground. Though it currently holds no seats in the National Assembly, recent projections suggest the party is now poised to win a significant number—potentially in the double digits.
The Liberals are also grappling with long-standing baggage. Under former premier Jean Charest — who later ran for federal Conservative leader in 2022 — the party was dogged by persistent allegations of corruption and collusion with construction firms, leading to the 2011 Charbonneau Commission. While Charest has denied wrongdoing and was never charged, the era continues to cast a long shadow over the party’s image.