Polls released Thursday suggest the majority of Quebecers believe former justice minister Marc Bellemare's allegations that Liberal donors influence provincial court appointments.
An Angus Reid poll conducted for La Presse said 58 per cent of respondents feel Bellemare holds more credibility than Premier Jean Charest.
A Journal de Montreal poll found that 69 per cent of those surveyed believe Bellemare over Charest.
Charest is suing Bellemare for $700,000 over the allegations. The lawsuit, which claims the accusations are false and defamatory, was filed in superior court Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier Wednesday, Charest demanded that Bellemare retract the allegations by 4 p.m., but the deadline came and went without Bellemare backing down.
Opposition leader Pauline Marois took the opportunity thursday to remind Charest where the population's trust now appears to lie.
"I think the population now thinks that Mr. Charest doesn't say the truth, so when Bellemare says something, they think Mr. Bellemare is right," said Marois.
The allegations against Charest have crippled the Liberals politically.
The La Presse poll also found that 47 per cent of Francophone voters now support the PQ, compared to 17 per cent for the Liberals.
Broader inquiry needed, says opposition
On Thursday, there were renewed calls from opposition in the National Assembly for a broader inquiry into party financing and influence peddling in the Quebec government.
Former Supreme Court judge Michel Bastarache has been selected by Charest to lead a public inquiry into how judges are appointed in Quebec, but the opposition contends the scope of the inquiry is too narrow.
"I intend to go to the roots of the problem, if there is one," Bastarache said Wednesday in an interview with CTV's Todd van der Heyden.
He is expected to provide results of the inquiry by Oct. 15.
Bastarache said he will look at three issues:
"First, I will look at the appointment process itself (...) to see whether all the safeguards necessary are really there," he said.
"The second part of course is to look into the specific allegations of Mr. Bellemare (…) and then I will want to look into if it is a systemic issue," continued Bellemare.
Third, he said, "is to make recommendations to strengthen the process to ensure this doesn't happen in the future."
Accusations
The public inquiry comes after Bellemare, who served as justice minister in 2003 and 2004, said he was pressured by political donors to appoint two judges against his will.
Bellemare said that not only was he pressured into selecting judges, but that he also saw envelopes of cash and cheques changing hands in violation of the provincial law regarding maximum individual donations of $3000.
On Tuesday, Charest called for an inquiry to probe the way judges are appointed "to address this issue of the integrity of the justice system in Quebec."
"I want to get to the bottom of this," Charest told reporters Tuesday in Quebec City, when announcing his intention to start an inquiry.
Marois said Thursday that when she was in cabinet, her party never knew who was on the short list to become a judge.
"The minister of justice arrived at the (council) and said I recommend this person -- and that's all. The only thing we could do is say we think there is a problem with this (person)," she said.
Charest has denied claims that this policy had changed under Liberal government so Cabinet would be aware of all potential judges.
Charest knew, Bellemare alleges
In an interview Tuesday, Bellemare repeated allegations that he was obliged to appoint two judges whom Liberal fundraisers lobbied for.
"I had to," Bellemare said, of giving in. "I complained to the premier, but he explained to me that this was how it worked."
In total, Bellemare said he was asked to appoint judges that were favoured by Liberal fundraisers on three occasions. He said he confronted Charest about the matter twice.
He also wants the inquiry to look at party financing in Quebec.
Bellemare also alleges that the Liberal government's agenda is shaped by its fundraisers -- whom he claims have even managed to kill certain bills.
Charest said he is not sure of Bellemare's motivations in bringing his allegations forward.
"I have no answer to what Mr. Bellemare is doing," he said.
But the Quebec premier also said that he is most concerned about assuaging public concerns about the integrity of the provincial justice system, and not about the beef his former colleague has with his government.
"It ain't about me," Charest said.
Diversionary tactic: opposition
Opposition Leader Pauline Marois said Charest's decision to call an inquiry was a method of keeping attention away from unrelated allegations that the Liberal government holds ties to the provincial construction industry.
Quebec's Chief Electoral Officer has fined the owner of a construction company in connection with political donations made in 2005.
Paolo Catania, the head of Frank Catania Construction, has been fined $1500 for making excessive donations to the provincial Liberal party.
The limit for individual donations is $3000 per year.
Catania has 30 days to contest the fine.
With files from CTV.ca and The Canadian Press
