Minister faces new favouritism allegations

Quebec's Family Minister Tony Tomassi is facing renewed questions about favouritism despite having made changes to the rules for the awarding of daycare permits.

On Wednesday, the opposition Parti Qubcois renewed its calls for Tomassi's resignation, adding its voice to that of the province's Association of Private Daycares.

During question period family critic Nicolas Girard asked whether Groupe Genco, a company belonging to Tomassi's family, had received a contract for the construction or renovation of daycares.

The minister responded that daycares can do business with whomever they want and that the minister has no say on the subject.

On Thursday, Tomassi acknowledged the company had obtained a contract to renovate a publicly subsidized daycare in 2002-2003, the year before the Liberal government took power.

He declined to say whether the company had obtained any contracts following the government's election.

When he was named to cabinet in Dec. 2008, Tomassi was obliged to place his business holdings in trust.

Premier Jean Charest reiterated his confidence in Tomassi during a visit to Gatineau on Wednesday.

"Mr Tomassi is responding to all the questions," said Charest. "Mr Tomassi is a minister who has a very important ministry So, yes I have confidence in him."

Audit possible

On Wednesday, the province's Auditor General Renaud Lachance confirmed he had sent a letter to the minister announcing that he was looking at the possibility of auditing the ministry.

The move had nothing to do with the allegations of favouritism, said Lachance.

"I sent the letter for two reasons," he said Wednesday. "The first reason is that it is a ministry that has an important budget, at $2 billion. And, it has been more than 10 years that we have not audited this ministry."

The PQ has demanded an investigation by the auditor into possible links between the awarding of daycare spaces and donations to the Liberal party.

On Monday, Tomassi announced new rules for the awarding of permits for government subsidized daycare spaces.

Proposals will be studied by regional committees, he said.

New regulations will also help prevent companies from bidding for daycare spaces only to resell them at a profit, the minister said.

The province's Association of Private Daycares dismissed the changes calling them a smokescreen to hide the real problems with the system.