In the closed session of the budget, the Minister of Finance is naturally the star, and there is no doubt that Eric Girard is up to his position, even if he could make a small effort to adopt a tone a little more exciting when he reads his speech. The President of the Conseil du trésor seems to play above all a support role, even if it is crucial in the arbitrations imposed by the limited resources that everyone is fighting over.
For five years, from 1976 to 1981, Jacques Parizeau combined the two positions, but René Lévesque judged that he was leading a little too broadly and withdrew the Treasury from him, which “Monsieur” very badly accepted, to the point to consider resigning. No one has worn both hats since.
Under the Couillard government, Martin Coiteux ensured a close – not to say jealous – watch over public funds in the shadow of the amiable Carlos Leitão, who recently said he regretted the brutal pace of budget cuts, whose paternity has been attributed to his ex-colleague, who never denied it.
Given the fate that voters have reserved for the PLQ, Prime Minister Legault has sworn never to put austerity back on the agenda. The current holder of the Treasury, Sonia LeBel, nevertheless plays a role that could be decisive in the success or failure of the second term of the CAQ. And perhaps also for the rest of his own political career.
In his budget, Mr. Girard has pulled out all the stops to give his health colleague, Christian Dubé, the means to make the health network take the “major shift” he promised, but this remains conditional on this “flexibility” that Mme LeBel was given the difficult task of getting public sector unions accepted.
Even though the collective agreements expire on March 31, negotiations are still at the preliminary stage, where the parties are trying to establish a balance of power and convince public opinion of the justice of their cause.
The union reaction to the budget reflected genuine disappointment. We denounced in unison the “irresponsible” tax cuts, but in a moderate way, even recognizing “some interesting measures”, although insufficient. No shirt tearing as a rule.
The FIQ deplored that these provisions were insufficient to meet the needs of the personnel of the health network, but we wanted to be concerned above all with the well-being of the population, the unions having the unfortunate reputation of thinking first and foremost to their members. Moreover, the budget contained nothing that could be presented as a provocation.
We probably lose nothing by waiting. Even if the first mandate of the Legault government did not justify their apprehensions, those who were worried about seeing him take up the state reengineering project where Jean Charest had to leave him will again sound the alarm.
There are words which have, on the unions, the same effect as the red flag that is waved in front of a bull. Thus, talking about efficiency, performance or, even worse, rationalization has always been understood – not without reason – as a notice of job cuts.
In the context of the labor shortage, there is obviously no question of cuts. But asking for more “flexibility” is a thinly disguised way of demanding concessions, all the more difficult to digest as it comes with disappointing salary offers.
Negotiations in the public sector rarely end in hugs. Most of the time, the unions resign themselves with heartache to signing an agreement that they try to present to their troops as a great victory, when they do not see a settlement imposed by decree, which allows them at least to pose as victims. Needless to say, this is not the winning condition for enthusiastic revival.
The Prime Minister underlined it with particular insistence on Wednesday: the 2023 round of negotiations “is going to be very, very, very important”. Mme LeBel must not only ensure that the collective agreements are renewed without too much disruption, but also convince the main stakeholders that the public sector, mainly the health and education networks, can offer a rewarding work environment for all respects, otherwise Christian Dubé’s plan for refoundation and Bernard Drainville’s projects will quickly end up in the graveyard of stillborn reforms.
Despite her undeniable talents, the President of the Treasury Board will have to outdo herself in the face of a common front that will insist that all employees in the sector, regardless of the position they occupy, should also be compensated for the misdeeds of inflation. Mr. Legault keeps repeating, to rejoice, that the labor shortage gives workers an unprecedented advantage in negotiations with their employer. He can experience it himself.