Liberals want interim ADQ leader sacked

The Charest government has served notice that it intends to table a motion which could eventually force the interim leader of the Action Dmocratique du Qubec to quit her seat in the nationalassembly.

The move comes as the opposition Parti Qubcois said it will table a no-confidence motion against the governing Liberals to force a public inquiry into Quebec's construction industry.

The Liberals are angry over a statement Sylvie Roy made during question period Thursday, suggesting three cabinet ministers had taken rides ona yacht belonging to Tony Accurso, the businessman at the centre of Montreals water-meter scandal.

Deputy government House Leader Claude Bchard called the claims untrue and defamatory.

'This is intimidation against MNAs to make sure they dont ask questions about a subject of interest to all Quebecers,' PQ House Leader Stphane Bdard

He said Roy has refused to apologize.

"There are rules that govern what we do at the national assembly," Bchard said.

"It is not because we have parliamentary immunity and that we were elected that we can tarnish everyones reputation."

Bchard said the government had written to national assembly Speaker Yvon Vallires, asking whether a motion alleging Roy violated her parliamentary privilege would be receivable.

Should Valliers decide that the motion can be heard, Bchard said it would be up to the committee that oversees the activities of the assembly review Roys actions and hand down some sort of sanction.

The government is asking that she be forced to apologize, be relieved of her duties as interim party leader or resign her seat.

The Liberals hold a majority on the committee.

Bchard could not say whether there was any precedent for such a decision.

"It is very serious to tarnish someones reputation without proof," Bchard said.

Attempt to intimidate

Parti Qubcois house leader Stphane Bdard called the motion "unacceptable, odious and contemptuous."

"This is intimidation against MNAs to make sure they dont ask questions about a subject of interest to all Quebecers," said Bdard.

He called on Vallires to reject the motion, which he called an attempt to distract attention from the oppositions demands for a public inquiry into allegations of collusion in the construction industry.

Bdard refused to comment on the validity of Roys comments, saying it was not up to him to be the judge.

On Friday, Premier Jean Charest named the three ministers alleged to have met with Accurso. Charest said they were Transport Minister Julie Boulet, Deputy Transport Minister Norman MacMillan and former labour minister David Whissell.

Charest said he had been notified of the allegations in March by former city of Montreal opposition leader Benot Labont.

"We verified with these people and the information is false," Charest said.

Accurso also denied the allegations in a statement released last week.

PQ to table motion

PQ officials told CBC Newson Tuesday that the partywill tableits no-confidence motion this week.

The legislative tactic is meant topressure the Liberal government to call a public inquiry into the recent explosive allegations about Quebec's construction industry.

The national assembly will vote on the motion on Thursday, but given that the Liberals hold a majority of seats, the government is not at risk of falling.

ThePQ'smovecomes as the province'sOrder of Engineers demandeda similar public inquiryto clear the air of insinuations aboutthe construction industry and public contract tendering.

Sent letter to media

In a letter sent to Quebec's major media outlets, the engineering group's president Maud Cohen said she is shocked and distressed by the cloud of suspicion hanging over her profession following weeks of accusations.

A public inquiry is the only way to clear the air and ensure Quebecers their tax dollars are being well spent and "the public is being protected," especially as the province gets set to spend some $40 billion to renew infrastructure, she wrote.

Police investigations can only target individuals whereas a public inquiry will review the system as a whole, Cohen said.

Last week Quebec announced the creation of "Opration Marteau" or Operation Hammer, a special squad made up of police officers and Crown attorneys dedicated to investigating corruption and fraud allegations in the construction industry.

In her letter, Cohen said she doesn't discount the possibility some of her own members may be implicated in that probe, and welcomes any needed housecleaning.