Quebec tables bill to ban vote-buying ‘brownies’ in leadership races

Quebec Democratic Institutions Minister Jean-François Roberge tabled a bill on Friday to ban vote-buying in leadership races.  

“This bill introduces into the Election Act and the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities an offence aimed at punishing any undue influence on a person’s vote in the context of a political party leadership campaign or a political party candidate nomination process,” reads the explanatory notes accompanying the bill, which was tabled in the National Assembly on Friday morning.

The government’s decision comes after the Journal de Montreal revealed last month that text messages suggested that members who supported Pablo Rodriguez in the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) leadership race received cash rewards — “brownies” for $100 bills.

The PLQ has since launched an investigation to shed light  on these allegations.

Surprisingly, Elections Quebec has indicated that “in the context of a leadership race, the Election Act does not provide for an offence prohibiting someone from making a donation in exchange for a vote.”

This practice is therefore permitted, provided that all candidates’ expenses are compiled in a report submitted to the Quebec Chief Electoral Officer.

“There was an obvious gap that needed to be closed. That’s what we’re doing. The vote, whether it’s a leadership campaign or a nomination race, must remain neutral and free from any undue influence, regardless of the level of government,” said Minister Roberge.

His bill provides for “a fine of $5,000 to $20,000 for a first offence and $10,000 to $30,000 for any repeat offence within 10 years.”

It should be noted that the law already prohibits the payment of money in exchange for votes in general and byelections.

The three opposition parties have all already expressed their support for the ban on brownies.

Jean-François Roberge hopes his bill will be adopted next week. 

Crisis in the Quebec Liberal Party 

This story of mysterious text messages has also fueled the crisis in which the PLQ has been mired since MNA Marwah Rizqy dismissed her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, a close associate of Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez, without having spoken to her beforehand.

In the text of the “Journal de Montréal”, the individuals behind the messages are not named. 

However, radio station Cogeco later claimed that the two people behind the text messages were Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and CAQ MNA Alice Abou-Khalil. Both elected officials denied the allegations and sent formal notices to Cogeco.

On Thursday, Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez expelled Lakhoyan Olivier from the caucus due to an investigation by the ethics commissioner. The investigation concerns her use of resources from her constituency office for the PLQ leadership race.

Sona Lakhoyan Olivier supported Rodriguez in the leadership race.

On Friday morning, exasperation was palpable within the Liberal caucus 

“Everything that’s coming out now is preventing us from shining in our files. So yes, I’m tired of hearing all these stories every day,” said Liberal MNA Monsef Derraji. 

MNA Marc Tanguay said he saw no link between the story surrounding Marwah Rizqy and Geneviève Hinse and the ethics commissioner’s investigation into his colleague Sona Lakhoyan Olivier. 

“I don’t see any reason for this: the ethics commissioner is investigating very precisely, not for resources in Quebec City, but for resources in the county office. And as far as I know, Geneviève Hinse did not manage the county office,” he explained. 

On Thursday, Lakhoyan Olivier asserted that she had done nothing wrong. “At all times, I have respected the rules.” 

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews