After being publicly scolded for violating the National Assembly’s code of ethics by using her riding office to try and help elect Pablo Rodriguez as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, independent Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier apologized to her fellow MNAs in the National Assembly this past week, saying she takes responsibility for ethical breaches.
This was a few days after an interview with The Laval News in which she said she would contest the ruling, while also saying she would not resign her seat.
In a scathing report, Quebec ethics commissioner Ariane Mignolet ruled that Lakhoyan Olivier, formerly a member of the Liberal caucus, violated rules by trying to impede Mignolet’s investigation. She recommended Lakhoyan Olivier be fined $8,000.
In the report tabled in the National Assembly, Mignolet said Lakhoyan Olivier violated Article 36 of the MNAs’ code of ethics, which stipulates that resources put at the disposal of MNAs to serve ridings are not to be used for partisan purposes.
In the midst of all this, there were calls by some in the National Assembly for Lakhoyan Olivier to resign her seat.
‘I am elected’
“I am elected by the people, and I’m continuing working for the people, and there are four months left, and I will continue representing my people,” she said in a phone interview last Monday afternoon as we were approaching deadline.
In her report, Mignolet stated, “The evidence shows that the riding office and salaries of personnel were used for partisan reasons between the months of April and June 2025 and two additional moments of the campaign,”.
“The office thus became the headquarters of partisan activities connected to the party riding association and members of the staff were mobilized,” she said.
“This use was in itself sufficiently significant to constitute a violation, but also of great importance was that this was permitted and encouraged by the actions and statements of the MNA.”
Mignolet’s report maintains that Lakhoyan Olivier took actions, after the investigation had opened, which effectively impeded the ethics commissioner’s work.
“The evidence reveals the MNA discussed the investigation on several occasions with members of her staff to convince them of the value of her version of the facts and to dictate eventual responses to the commissioner’s questions,” said Mignolet.
Lakhoyan Olivier was suspended from the PLQ caucus more than five months ago, after Mignolet first opened the investigation.
PLQ inquiry absolved her
In response to allegations of alleged vote-related cash payments and incriminating text messages allegedly exchanged by Pablo Rodriguez’s supporters during the leadership campaign, the PLQ conducted its own investigation, which absolved Lakhoyan Olivier or her associates of having been the source of the text messages.
The investigation, led by retired Quebec Superior Court judge Jacques Fournier, concluded that the text messages were fabricated and manipulated, and that the analysis and electronic evidence clearly show that they did not originate from Lakhoyan Olivier’s devices or those of her associates.
Despite this, in a statement issued last week, PLQ leader Charles Milliard, said Lakhoyan Olivier would not be readmitted to caucus and will not be allowed to run again as a candidate for the Quebec Liberals in the fall election.
“The facts presented are serious and of concern,” said Milliard. “This is why I advised Mme. Sona Lakhoyan Olivier that we will support the report (from the commissioner).
“As a result, it is out of the question to revoke the decision made: the MNA will remain excluded from the caucus,” he continued. “The actions taken are incompatible with the values and standards we are imposing. It is tolerance zero. She will thus not be a candidate for the party in the coming elections.”
Will she run again?
In a previous interview, Lakhoyan Olivier stated she would only run in the upcoming provincial elections if the Quebec Liberals took her back into the caucus and that she would probably not seek re-election as an independent.
Last Monday, she said, “Right now I’m taking it day by day,” without elaborating on whether she intends to run again. But she left no doubt that she felt betrayed by the party she first served as a volunteer then as an official.
“I’m a member of the Liberal party since a young age, and for me to be treated this way,” she said. “They didn’t even listen to me, didn’t even talk to me. I’m insulted. This is how you take care of your family? As soon as there is a problem, they throw them out of the plane.”
Chomedey, which has been a Quebec Liberal bastion as long as anyone can remember, has seen its sitting Liberal MNA excluded from the PLQ caucus more than once in recent times.
Former Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette was expelled from the Quebec Liberal caucus in 2018 after it was alleged he had leaked classified information to the Coalition Avenir Québec. Ouellette sat as in independent until the end of his last term in 2022.
Ouellette received an official apology after he lodged a lawsuit alleging libel and damage to his reputation.
