Guy Ouellette expelled from Liberal caucus
MNA for Chomedey accused of leaking party information to CAQ
Guy Ouellette, a longstanding Liberal MNA, has been booted from the Liberal caucus, the party announced on Friday.
Interim Leader Pierre Arcand confirmed Ouellette will sit as an independent, bringing the number of Liberal seats at the National Assembly down to 31.
"The trust has been broken," Arcand said.
During the campaign, Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault confirmed Guy Ouellette leaked information to his party in 2016 regarding the nomination of Liberal Party member to a senior position.
Ouellette denied he was the source of the leak, suggesting members of Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) sent the information after confiscating his personal documents.
The outgoing Liberal leader Philippe Couillard stood by Ouellette, even days before the election, promising a place for him in the caucus.
But Ouellette was absent from the party's first post-election meeting on Thursday, and didn't show up for the caucus meeting on Friday morning, where Arcand was named the interim leader.
"Mr. Ouellette had the opportunity to come here today to explain himself," said Liberal caucus president Filomena Rotiroti.
Instead, he chose to have a letter delivered to his former colleagues. It was read out to them, but the contents will not be released to the public — at least not by the Liberal Party, Rotiroti said.
Ouellette has represented the Chomedey riding in Laval since 2007.
UPAC controversy
This was not Ouellette's first controversy within the party.
Ouellette temporarily resigned from the caucus in October 2017 after being arrested by UPAC officers.
The unit was trying to put an end to a series of leaks to the media — and several fingers pointed at Ouellette, suggesting he was the source of those leaks.
Ouellette returned to the caucus in November 2017, while the police investigation was still ongoing.
He testified under oath in February that "he played no role" in the leaked documents, during the trial against former party members Nathalie Normandeau and Marc-Yvan Côté.
Last week, Ouellette announced on his Facebook page that Quebec's Crown prosecutor's office had confirmed the search warrants issued against him in 2017 were invalid.