Provincial Liberals' former chief of staff claims she was dismissed without reason or explanation
A former chief of staff of the Quebec Liberal Party has served her former employer with a formal notice of potential wrongful dismissal lawsuit, marking an escalation in internal party turmoil that has roiled the provincial opposition party.
Geneviève Hinse, who served as chief of staff for Quebec Liberal Parliamentary Leader Marwah Rizqy, was terminated earlier this week without advance notice to party leadership, according to media reports. Within days, party leader Pablo Rodriguez responded by removing Rizqy from her post as parliamentary leader and suspending her from caucus, citing a breach of trust.
Hinse's lawyer, Jacques Jeansonne, in the notice accused Rizqy of having “cavalierly claimed” to have dismissed Hinse from her job as chief of staff, “notably because of serious misconduct and a breach of confidence.” This violated established party custom by making unilateral personnel decisions that should have been deferred to party leadership, according to the notice.
No justification for firing, says lawyer of dismissed staffer
In the legal notice delivered Wednesday afternoon and acquired by media outlets, Jeansonne explicitly stated that Rizqy failed to provide any justification for her actions, citing confidentiality concerns to party authorities when no legitimate grounds existed. The ultimatum gave Rizqy a 24-hour window to publicly acknowledge that Hinse's termination lacked any legitimate basis.
The deadline came and went Thursday afternoon. Although Rizqy's legal representatives submitted a written response, its contents weren’t made public and Rizqy declined to comment on the matter, according to the Montreal Gazette.
The refusal to comply with the legal notice sets the stage for potential civil litigation. Hinse indicated her intent to pursue legal action seeking compensation for the alleged harm caused by her dismissal.
Sources close to the situation told Radio-Canada that personality differences may have contributed to the breakdown between Rizqy and Hinse, though neither has publicly confirmed the specifics. Media reports indicate that the two had experienced interpersonal difficulties that ultimately led to the termination.
Termination caught party leadership by surprise
Rodriguez said he made the decision to remove Rizqy from her parliamentary leader post after learning she had fired Hinse without consulting him first, telling reporters that he didn't know why Hinse had been dismissed.
Rizqy's position as parliamentary leader had been relatively recent. She was appointed to the role in June 2025 while Rodriguez — who doesn’t currently have a seat in the Quebec national assembly — established himself as party leader in preparation for the 2026 provincial election.
With Hinse’s deadline past, it remains to be seen whether she and her legal team will proceed with a formal lawsuit or if a settlement might emerge from behind-the-scenes negotiations. The outcome could carry implications beyond the personalities involved, potentially establishing precedents for how provincial legislators handle internal staffing matters and the legal protections available to political staff.
