Quebec Premier Jean Charest is trumpeting his party's courage in the face of a backlash from voters angry over planned tax hikes and allegations of influence peddling.
The premier, whose party's approval rating is in record lows, told party faithful Sunday the Liberals need the audacity to stand behind the tough decisions necessary to balance the province's finances.
He defended the budget announcement of a major increase in tuition fees for university.
"We are ready to make real choices and the tough choices that needed to be made while being equitable toward students," said Charest.
He also brought a new topic to the table, by promising to review the integration of students with severe difficulties into regular classes.
The discussions moved the focus from his government's credibility, a topic that received much media attention this week.
"It's been that kind of a week, but believe me, I'm not going to take my eyes off the ball. I'm going to continue to deliver what I promised in the election campaign," he said.
Charest recently picked former Supreme Court justice Michel Bastarache to head an inquiry into the way judges are chosen in the province.
The crisis was sparked by former Quebec justice minister Marc Bellemare who claimed he was pushed by Liberal party fundraisers to make certain judicial appointments during his term.
Charest said the recent allegations were merely a bump in the road to be dealt with by the Bastarache commission.
"There are always going to be ups and downs and unforseen circumstances, tougher periods, and you have to learn to live with them. You get through them and do your best to make the right decisions. In the end, when the elections roll around, people will look at the whole picture," he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
