Opposition's push for public inquiry blocked

An opposition motion for a public inquiry into the Quebec construction industry and political party financing was quashed by members of the Liberal government on Wednesday.

Liberal MNAs used their majority in the national assembly to block the motion with a 59-54 vote against.

The motion, the fourth of its kind sincethe fall, was tabled last week by a coalition of opposition parties, including members of the Parti Qubcois, Qubec Solidaire MNA Amir Khadir and independent MNAs ric Caire and Marc Picard.

The motion was also supported by members of the Action Dmocratique party, though they were not officially members of the coalition.

On Wednesday, the members of the so-called white scarf coalition, named for the sashes they donned during a news conference a week ago, received the support of several non-legislative groups.

CSN labour federation president Claudette Carbonneau; the president of Quebecs civil service union, Lucie Martineau; the president of the union representing Quebec provincial police officers, Jean-Guy Dagenais; and the spokesman for the group Zero Corruption, Ryan Hillier, denounced the governments refusal to call a public inquiry.

During a debate on the motion in the assembly, PQ Leader Pauline Marois said recent allegations of corruption have affected the entire political class.

But deputy government house leader Henri-Franois Gautrin said the government has already formed a special police squad to investigate allegations of collusion and corruption.

"The goal on our side is not to have a big media show," Gautrin said.

Free vote allowed

Since Tuesday, Marois had demanded whether Premier Jean Charest would allow his MNAs to vote freely on the call for an inquiry.

The premier finally agreed there would be a free vote on the issue, though several ministers told reporters that their constituents had not demanded an inquiry.

Members of the opposition have been calling for an inquiry into allegations of collusion and corruption since media reports suggested a small number of construction firms had joined together, with the help of criminal organizations, to drive up the price of public construction contracts.

Charest was forced to call a separateinquiry into the province's process for naming judges after former Justice Minister Marc Bellemare claimed he was pressured to name Liberal-friendly candidates to the bench.

Media reports have also suggested permits for daycare spaces had been allotted in return for donations to the Liberal Party.

Then, earlier this month, Charest was forced to fire his minister for familyafter Tony Tomassi admitted to having used a credit card belonging to a private security firm for his own purposes.