Kelley says marriage to Rizqy 'stronger than ever' after Quebec Liberal crisis | The Corner Booth
Jacques-Cartier MNA Gregory Kelley has been caught in the middle of the
Quebec Liberal Party crisis
.
His wife, fellow MNA Marwah Rizqy, was suspended from caucus in November for firing her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, without consulting then-party leader Pablo Rodriguez. After weeks of pressure, Rodriguez resigned as leader amid allegations over fundraising.
Rizqy remains out of the party, but she
returned to the legislature on Tuesday
. Kelley was by her side, also returning after taking a step back in the wake of the scandal. Kelley is still a Quebec Liberal and intends to run again in October’s provincial election. Rizqy already said she wouldn’t.
Kelley joined hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on this week’s episode of The Corner Booth to talk about the mental toll of the crisis, his hopes for a rejuvenated party
under new leadership
, not taking anglophones for granted, and, yes, even a Super Bowl prediction.
“I was doing my best to support my wife and be there for my kids, while at the same time having to handle the situation that was going on on a day-to-day basis,” Kelley said. “Overwhelming is the word I can use to describe what I was feeling.”
Kelley, who has been frank before about his battles with mental health, called the past few months “ straight up, one of the worst periods of my life.”
Where Kelley never wavered was in his commitment to Rizqy.
“Our marriage is stronger than ever in some ways, and this has brought us as close together as you possibly could be,” he said. “ We have each other’s backs. We’re standing by one another.”
But he also said that with regard to the lawsuit Hinse filed against Rizqy, there are some battles she’s facing alone.
“She said, ‘Greg, I’m protecting you from yourself,’” he said.
Kelley also spoke about receiving support from his father, Geoffrey, who was the longtime MNA in Jacques-Cartier prior to Gregory.
“He’s one of my best friends and he just did what a best friend does,” he explained. “I would go over and we would talk about everything but that. He would make sure to text me quite a bit during Habs games. ‘Are you watching Cole Caufield?’”
Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling. Call Info-Social at 811, Option 2. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 911 or Suicide Action Montreal at 1-866-277-3553.
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