Former Liberal Quebec cabinet minister throws support behind PQ

Former Quebec justice minister Marc Bellemare, left, listens to his lawyer Jean Francois Bertrand at the Inquiry Commission into the appointment process for judges Thursday, September 16, 2010 in Quebec City. (Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

SHERBROOKE, Que. -- A former Liberal cabinet minister who threatened to run as an Independent against Jean Charest in his home riding has instead decided to back the Parti Quebecois.

Marc Bellemare is throwing his support behind PQ candidate Serge Cardin, who represented Sherbrooke for the Bloc Quebecois between 1998 and 2011.

Bellemare is a former Charest cabinet minister who alleged a few years ago that Liberal party fundraisers influenced the selection of judges.

Charest and Bellemare then sued each other over the issue before eventually agreeing to drop legal proceedings.

Cardin said he is happy Bellemare is not running because of possible vote-splitting.

One recent poll suggested Cardin was leading Charest by 15 percentage points. The Liberal leader has represented Sherbrooke since 1998.

Bellemare left the Liberals in 2004 after they failed to fulfill an election promise to kill the province's no-fault insurance law -- legislation he has staunchly opposed for years.