Quebec Liberal Leader Jean Charest is facing more pressure to answer questions about a secret fund used by federalists during the 1995 referendum campaign.
Retired Quebec judge Bernard Grenier is currently investigating Option Canada, a federalist group that is alleged to have spent $5.2 million promoting the "no" side during the referendum debate in the weeks leading up to the pivotal 1995 vote.
Charest was vice-president of the No Committee at the time, but denies knowing about any irregular spending or even knowing about Option Canada.
"The answer is 'no' to any creation of any fund to that effect," he said during a stop in central Quebec Friday as part of his campaign for the March 26 provincial election.
The alleged spending would have violated Quebec electoral laws, and would tie Charest and other federalists to another scandal linked to national unity. The Liberals are thought to have fared poorly in Quebec during the 2006 federal election because of fallout from the federal sponsorship scandal.
Charest reiterated his intent to fully participate in the investigation. "I've been asked to testify, as we expected," he said.
"I'm ready to co-operate just as everyone, as far as I'm concerned, who is involved around this inquiry should … co-operate, and I'm ready to do whatever is required to help Judge Grenier fulfill his mandate."
It's not clear when the Liberal leader will testify in the investigation, which will wrap up during the election campaign. The final report is expected no later than March 31.
With files from the Canadian PressRelated
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
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