Prime Minister Paul Martin is urging his opponents to hold off on an election call until the sponsorship inquiry is over.

"Will the leader of the Opposition," Martin spokesman Scott Reid asked Friday, "give Canadians a guarantee that he will let Justice (John) Gomery report his findings -- that he will not force voters into an election until they have the answers that this prime minister has said that they deserve?"

For now, the answer seems to be: We will wait and see.

Canadians are still digesting the damaging allegations made last week by ad executive Jean Brault in testimony revealed for the first time on Thursday.

Brault alleged that unmarked envelopes stuffed with cash and phoney paper trials were used to transfer taxpayer money to the federal Liberal Party.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Opposition parties are saying they will be gauging the public's reaction over the coming days to determine whether the accusations warrant bringing down the minority Liberal government.

If polling shows a decrease in support for the Liberals, there may be an election called by the spring.

Harper says Canadians will decide

A spokesman for Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says it's the Canadian people who will decide when the next election takes place.

Party officials say Conservative MPs will be gauging public response in coming days to the testimony. As well, Harper is expected to criss-cross the country, meeting people and asking their opinions of the alleged Liberal wrongdoing.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe says he will spend the weekend considering his next move.

Duceppe told CFCF News that he will know by Tuesday whether the Bloc will introduce a non-confidence motion in the Martin government. He says the Liberals are no longer fit to govern.

"They've lost the moral authority, the moral legitimacy. Having said that, we don't have a majority in the House. We have to consider all the reasons, all the criteria before making that decision.

"We're not panicking, we'll take our time."

NDP Leader Jack Layton says his party be listening to call-in shows, attending local events to gauge whether the country is in the mood for an election.

"Over the next few weeks, Canadians are going to tell us if they want more information (at the inquiry) first,'' Layton said. "Or (they'll tell us) whether they feel they want to render a judgment right now.''

As the opposition plots their next move, Reid is insisting that Martin is the best leader to deal with the scandal.

"Paul Martin is the wire brush that will scrub clean this stain on Canadian politics," he said.

"Stephen Harper is afraid of this and therefore, it is he who is now talking about an election to pre-empt Justice Gomery. It is Stephen Harper who is calculating whether to put his personal political interest ahead of the wider public interest."

Reid also noted that Martin was the one who cancelled the sponsorship program, appointed the Gomery commission and took steps to try to recover $41 million in taxpayer cash.

Gomery's first report on the scandal is due in November.

With files from The Canadian Press