QUÉBEC — The Quebec Liberal Party is grappling with a significant crisis as it has lost two caucus members within a week. The turmoil comes amid multiple investigations that have plagued the party for nearly three weeks. Recent polling indicates a notable decline in public support for the party and its leader, Pablo Rodriguez, a former federal cabinet minister.

Monsef Derraji, a Liberal member of the legislature, expressed frustration over the ongoing controversies. "Everything that’s coming out now, it’s preventing us from doing our best work. I’m tired of hearing all these stories every day," he told reporters in Quebec City on Friday.

The situation escalated when Rodriguez announced the expulsion of Sona Lakhoyan Olivier, a member of the legislature from the Montreal area. This decision was made due to an investigation by Quebec’s ethics commissioner, who is looking into whether Lakhoyan Olivier misused resources from her constituency office for partisan activities during the recent Liberal leadership race, which Rodriguez won in June.

Rodriguez stated, "Under the circumstances, I have decided to exclude her from the Quebec Liberal Party caucus for the duration of this investigation." In response, Lakhoyan Olivier asserted on social media that she has always adhered to the rules and will fully cooperate with the investigation.

At a press conference, Marc Tanguay, the party’s chief whip, noted that it is standard practice for members under ethics investigations to be removed from their caucus. Despite the turmoil, Liberal member Désirée McGraw affirmed that the caucus remains "100 percent" behind Rodriguez. However, the caucus has dwindled to just 18 members following Rodriguez's earlier expulsion of Marwah Rizqy, the former parliamentary leader, whom he accused of lacking loyalty.

The crisis began when Rizqy dismissed her chief of staff last month without consulting Rodriguez, leading to further internal strife. Additionally, the party is facing allegations of vote-buying during the leadership race. Text messages published last month suggested that some party members who supported Rodriguez may have received cash incentives. Lakhoyan Olivier was named in these allegations but has denied any wrongdoing and has sent a legal notice to the radio station that reported the claims.

Rodriguez has called for a retired judge to investigate the vote-buying allegations, stating that anyone found involved in such activities will be expelled from the party. Quebec’s anticorruption police are also looking into the matter.

As the Liberals navigate this crisis, they are attempting to regain the support of Quebec voters, particularly among francophones outside Montreal, ahead of the upcoming election. The governing Coalition Avenir Québec is currently polling poorly, and the Liberals aim to position themselves as a viable alternative to the Parti Québécois, which has pledged a referendum on independence by 2030.

However, a recent Léger/Québecor poll revealed that the Liberals are losing ground, with support at 21 percent compared to 39 percent for the Parti Québécois. In response to the ongoing controversies, the Quebec government has introduced new legislation aimed at banning vote-buying in leadership and nomination races. This legislation, which has garnered support from opposition parties, proposes fines of up to $10,000 for first offenses and up to $30,000 for repeat offenses within a decade.