—Parti Québécois

<p>MONTREAL—Parti Québécois LeaderPauline Marois warned about theethical lapses and cloud of corruptionthat would follow a Liberal partyreturned to power in Quebec as shewas forced to muse about her party’spossible defeat in the election campaign.The sovereigntist leader’s aggressivetone was prompted by a newCrop poll that showed PhilippeCouillard’s Liberals overtaking thePQ with 39 per cent support comparedto 36 per cent of respondentswho backed her party. The survey of1,400 people showed the Liberal supportbeing drawn primarily from thethird-place Coalition Avenir Québec.Marois said if Quebecers elect aLiberal government on April 7, theyrisk being led by a party that has beeninvolved in illegal political financing,rigged government contracts and that continues to have a dubious ethicalcompass. The PQ came to powerin September 2012 after defeatingJean Charest’s Liberal party in anelection focused squarely on corruption.“When it comes to ethics, no onewants to return to the Liberal businessthat we saw under Jean Charestwith a similar model led by PhilippeCouillard,” Marois said.Couillard fired back that Marois’new front in the election battle wasan indication of worry by PQ strategistsas the campaign nears the halfwaypoint.Marois’s attack is a mix of old andnew allegations, some of which posea serious risk to the Liberal party.Former Liberal ministers and financiersare in the crosshairs of a provincialcorruption inquiry examininggovernment contracts handed toconstruction and engineering firmsin exchange for generous and allegedlyillegal political donations.</p>

<p>MONTREAL—Parti Québécois LeaderPauline Marois warned about theethical lapses and cloud of corruptionthat would follow a Liberal partyreturned to power in Quebec as shewas forced to muse about her party’spossible defeat in the election campaign.The sovereigntist leader’s aggressivetone was prompted by a newCrop poll that showed PhilippeCouillard’s Liberals overtaking thePQ with 39 per cent support comparedto 36 per cent of respondentswho backed her party. The survey of1,400 people showed the Liberal supportbeing drawn primarily from thethird-place Coalition Avenir Québec.Marois said if Quebecers elect aLiberal government on April 7, theyrisk being led by a party that has beeninvolved in illegal political financing,rigged government contracts and that continues to have a dubious ethicalcompass. The PQ came to powerin September 2012 after defeatingJean Charest’s Liberal party in anelection focused squarely on corruption.“When it comes to ethics, no onewants to return to the Liberal businessthat we saw under Jean Charestwith a similar model led by PhilippeCouillard,” Marois said.Couillard fired back that Marois’new front in the election battle wasan indication of worry by PQ strategistsas the campaign nears the halfwaypoint.Marois’s attack is a mix of old andnew allegations, some of which posea serious risk to the Liberal party.Former Liberal ministers and financiersare in the crosshairs of a provincialcorruption inquiry examininggovernment contracts handed toconstruction and engineering firmsin exchange for generous and allegedlyillegal political donations.</p>

epa04965922 Refugees traveling by overloaded rubber dinghy from Turkey arrive at the coast near Mytilene, Lesbos,