There is panoply of politicians and pundits calling for independent MNA Tony Tomassi to quit.

Despite his rather spotty attendance record at the National Assembly, I don't agree that the former Liberal minister should be required to step down just because he has been charged with fraud and breach of trust.

We do have due process and Tomassi should have his day in court, so Jean Charest is right on this one.

Remember those connect-the-dots books you had when you were a kid? Try this.

Tomassi is the son of an important Liberal fundraiser and he seemed to be an unlikely choice to make it into cabinet.

But there he was, Quebec's Family minister until he was kicked out of the party.

That's because Tomassi allegedly was given and used a Petro-Canada card from the security firm BCIA.

BCIA meanwhile obtained some pretty lucrative government contracts.

Jacques Dupuis, the former Public Security minister, intervened with the Surete du Quebec to get the owner of BCIA, Luigi Coretti, a gun permit even though he was refused the first time around.

Dupuis is a friend of former Montreal police chief Yvan Delorme.

Delorme gave BCIA a contract for security at several Montreal police stations including police headquarters. No tenders were called.

Eventually BCIA went bankrupt.

Delorme quit in mysterious circumstances well before his five-year contract as police chief expired. Dupuis left politics too.

There seem to be a lot coincidences here--and no one should rush to judgement--but the trial of Tony Tomassi will be interesting indeed.

Who knows where it will lead, what truths will indeed be uncovered, and how those dots will be connected.


Let the battle begin

With Thomas Mulcair now in the race for the comfy sofa in front of the fireplace in Stornaway, the NDP leadership race is about to become nasty.

The NDP old guard questions Mulcair's social democratic credentials.

Lets face it--Mulcair would not rush to nationalize the banks.

He, on the other hand, is a formidable campaigner who takes no prisoners.

The NDP will be lucky to come out of this in one piece.


Best news of the week

They finally broke ground for Montreal's new Shriners Hospital for Children.

The Shriners Hospital has been here since 1925, never charging a penny for its excellent care.

Even in the days before Medicare parents were never sent a bill. And they never will be.

A lot of hard work went into keeping the hospital here.

It was the right decision.

We should be thankful that it's staying exactly where it belongs.