Quebec daycare permits being resold for profit

The Charest government is refusing to ask the provinces auditor general to open an investigation into the awarding of daycare spaces following allegations Liberal Party donors were given permits by the governmentand some permits are being resold at a profit.

On Thursday, the opposition Parti Qubcois demanded an investigation following revelations made by a daycare owner and Liberal party donor.

In an interview with newspaper La Presse, Ezio Carosielli said that since 2008, some people who had been awarded a permit to open daycares had no intention of opening one themselves. Instead, Caroielli, said they resold the permits.

Himself the owner of 10 daycares, Carosielli said the permits are worth between $250,000 to $500,000.

The Parti Qubcois also alleged that six of Family Minister Tony Tomassis local party executive members are among those who received daycare permits. One of them later sold the permit, said PQ critic Nicolas Girard.

Pressed on the issue during question period on Thursday, Tomassi said the government has rules in place to regulate the transfer of daycare permits.

"The person [who wants to buy a permit] must go through what anyone else who wants to get a permit must do: a request to the ministry [and] the request is verified. They must fulfil all the conditions set out by the government," said Tomassi. "If the person is qualified to get a permit the permit is awarded."

Tomassi did not comment on the allegations that the people who were initially awarded the contract never had the intention to open a daycare centre and made a profit from the transaction.

In an interview with Radio-Canada on Wednesday, Carosielli confirmed that he and his wife, who are co-owners of the Groupe Merveilles company, have each donated $1,000 to the Quebec Liberal Party on an annual basis since 2003.

But, Carosielli said the daycare spaces he has been awarded have all been bought through middlemen.

He said the government has not approved any of the 33 requests for permits that he has submitted since 2008.

"I am asking the Auditor General to intervene to look at all the requests that were made and to see if [the spaces] were obtained fairly," said Carosielli.