Every opposition party is calling for the Transport Minister to step down following reports of a possible conflict of interest involving his wife.

A report in the Journal de Montreal Wednesday morning claimed Laurent Lessard gave millions in grant money to the group where his wife Johanne Binette works.

Lessard, who served as municipal affairs minister under a previous Liberal government, allegedly gave a total of $12.7 million between 2009 and 2012 for five social housing projects in Thetford Mines in his riding of Lotbiniere-Frontenac.

Two of them were approved in July 2012, a few weeks before the provincial election, the report claims.

The grants were provided through the Accès Logis social housing program, which supported the Groupe ressources techniques Beauce-Appalaches (GRTBA), where Lessard’s wife, Johanne Binette, works.

Since Lessard's tenure in that role ended, the report claims the group has received far less funding – only three projects have been announced in the last four years, one of which was reduced from its original vision of 24 units to 16.

The opposition argues that even the appearance of a conflict of interest is enough to warrant an investigation by the auditor general.

"He has to step down from the cabinet during the time that the auditor general makes an inquiry," said CAQ justice critic Simon Jolin-Barrette. 

The ethics commissioner is already investigating Lessard due to other conflict of interest allegations involving one of his former staffers, Yvon Nadeau, who was also an entrepreneur who received government grants.

Both the CAQ and the PQ are both calling for an investigation into the latest matter as well, and want the minister to step down.

“Mister Lessard has a lack of judgment in many cases, in the case of Nadeau, and now due to the appearance for a conflict of interest, he has to step down from the cabinet during the time that the auditor general makes an inquiry about that,” said CAQ justice critic Simon Jolin-Barrette.

“Mister Philippe Couillard said last week that Mister Lessard is an excellent minister. I think he should review his point of view,” added PQ ethics and integrity critic Agnes Maltais.

On Wednesday morning, Couillard indeed called Lessard a ‘very good minister,’ but didn’t take questions as he headed into a caucus meeting.

Government House Leader Jean-Marc Fournier, however, said the accusations are going too far and are needlessly damaging Lessard’s wife’s reputation.

“We must respect people also, not just about the news, it’s also about the people behind that news. If there’s something that is illegal, okay, no problem, but there is nothing that is illegal,” he said.

"It's a program with criteria decided by civil servants with no implication of the department." 

Lessard was shuffled into the role of transport minister last month after Jacques Daoust stepped down. Daoust was scrutinized for his possible involvement in the sale of the Quebec hardware store chain Rona to the U.S. company Lowe’s back in February.