QUEBEC – Tony Tomassi, who was fired in May 2010 by Premier Jean Charest from his job as Quebec’s family minister, has resigned his seat in the Quebec National Assembly.
Tomassi was fired when Charest learned that he had used a Petro Canada credit card, paid for by Luigi Corretti, to buy gasoline.
Tomassi, who sat as an independent but only showed up at the assembly on a few occasions after he was fired, is facing criminal charges of fraud, alleging he accepted favours from Coretti, who owned BCIA, a private security agency that won a contract without bids to guard Montreal police headquarters.
In a brief statement, Tomassi, first elected in 2003 and relected in 2007 and 2008, said he had represented the east-end Montreal LaFontaine riding “with pride.”
“And I recognize the confidence they showed in me on three occasions since 2003,” he wrote.
“In the circumstances, I tried to remain an MNA present in my riding, accessible and listening to citizens.”
Tomassi ended his statement saying he would not give interviews.
Under the new the code of ethics and conduct for National Assembly members in force since Jan. 1, an MNA must show up at the assembly and cannot simply say he is working in is riding.
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The last time Tomassi was in the assembly was in September, when the Liberal government of Jean Charest faced a confidence vote. Tomassi voted then with the government, against the Parti Québécois motion.
This week, Coalition Avenir Québec MNA Éric Caire, noting Tomassi’s absence, called on the assembly’s ethics commission to investigate whether Tomassi was in breach of the ethics rules.
With his resignation, there are two vacant seats in the 125-seat assembly.
In addition to LaFontaine, Argenteuil was vacated in December by Liberal David Whissell, who earlier resigned from the Charest cabinet when the premier gave him the choice of staying or giving up his interest in a paving company that received government contracts without tenders.
Standing in the assembly now: Liberals 64, PQ 46, CAQ 9, Québec solidaire 1, Option Nationale 1, with 2 independents and 2 vacancies.
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