Quebec Liberal leader defends party as report casts doubt over vote-buying texts

QUÉBEC – Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard says he wants answers about allegations of fundraising irregularities during the 2025 Liberal leadership race, but insists the party as a whole should not be painted with the same brush.

“I embrace the history of the Quebec Liberal party, there are elements with which I am less happy, but, for now, we are dealing with allegations,” Milliard told reporters in Quebec City on Tuesday.

The comments came on the heels of a report in La Presse on Tuesday that anti-corruption police doubt the authenticity of leaked text messages that appear to indicate a cash-for-votes scheme in the Quebec Liberal leadership race.

The party previously released copies of the text messages as part of an independent review, completed by a retired Quebec Superior Court justice, which also failed to confirm whether they were authentic.

The Canadian Press has not independently confirmed the revelations made in the La Presse report.

Milliard maintained the inquiries revolve around the leadership campaign and not the party as a whole.

“So, if there are people, in the history of the party or in any other party, … who have something to reproach themselves for, that doesn’t mean we should disown the entire history,” Millard said. 

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters at a separate news conference on Tuesday that the anti-corruption police force, also known as UPAC, should release the results of its investigation before the October general election.

“I want the results so that the upcoming democratic process is informed and so that we don’t end up with the same problem of trust that has arisen from UPAC investigations which ultimately led, for reasons unknown, to very little,” St-Pierre Plamondon told reporters.

The alleged text messages first surfaced in a separate media report published by another news outlet in November. They suggested some Quebec Liberal party members who had voted for Pablo Rodriguez in the 2025 leadership race could have received cash rewards.

That report sparked a major crisis in the Liberal party and ultimately led to Rodriguez resigning last December.

Mathieu Galarneau, a spokesperson for UPAC, did not confirm La Presse’s reporting but said it’s the force’s priority to complete its investigation into the Liberal leadership race as soon as possible.

“Our investigation into allegations surrounding the process of the last leadership race for the Quebec Liberal party is still ongoing. We will not provide any details about it in order to protect it as much as possible,” Galarneau said in an email.

“Regarding this investigation, please know that we understand the public’s interest in this particular case, that it is a priority for our investigative teams, and that we are making every effort to ensure it is completed as quickly as possible.”

For his part, Milliard also said he wants the truth to come out, but said he found it “a bit awkward to rush things or ask investigative bodies to proceed just to fit my personal agenda.”

Elections Quebec confirmed last week that it is also investigating Rodriguez’s leadership bid, without providing further details.

The legislature’s ethics commissioner is investigating Sona Lakhoyan Olivier over the use of her constituency office’s resources for the Quebec Liberal leadership race. 

Olivier was elected as a Liberal, but is currently sitting as an Independent. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2026.