QUEBEC CITY - New allegations surfaced Tuesday of cash being handed to a Liberal candidate, the latest in a string of headaches for the nose-diving Liberal Party.
Liberal party candidate David Gregoire, who ran for the party in the Masson riding, north of Montreal in 2008, said despite his defeat, he kept $3,000 given to him in an envelope.
Gregoire said he also passed another wad of cash from a local contractor to a Liberal party official.
Charest and the Liberals are denying the allegations, insisting these are simply insinuations.
"There are things he says as fact," but Gregoire's claims are false, said Charest.
Chief electoral officer Marcel Blanchet said investigators are looking into the allegations.
"I asked them to meet with the people involved in this situation to make sure we have the good proof for going before the court," said Blanchet.
Meantime, the opposition is applauding the ex-Liberal candidate for breaking what they called omerta, or the code of silence.
The reference to omerta was retracted under orders from the speaker of the National Assembly.
Non-confidence vote
The Liberals face a non-confidence motion Wednesday, and Parti Quebecois MNAs like PQ house leader Stephane Bedard are suggesting the Liberals vote against their party.
"Instead of siding with their party, Liberal MNAs (should) side with their constituents," said Bedard.
When asked if they should vote against their party, PQ MNA from Matane Pascal Berube said they should vote with their conscience.
"They don't need me to ask their conscience if it's good or not for their jobs. But I do think it's a historical moment," said Berube.
Liberal Whip Pierre Moreau said rumours of caucus disgruntlement are unfounded, and the Liberal majority will have no problem defeating the motion Wednesday, sparing Quebec from an early election.
"Just watch the vote tomorrow, and I think that you will see that this is not true," he said.
Nothing short of catastrophe will prevent the MNAs from showing up for the vote, said Moreau.
