The Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) could in turn promise a tax cut to Quebecers, as the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) did this weekend. “I ask you to be patient,” Prime Minister François Legault said on Monday.
Passing through Montreal to announce the candidacy in Anjou–Louis-Riel of former city councilor Karine Boivin Roy, the CAQ leader did not rule out that a recurring drop in the tax burden would be added to the one-off checks he will be paid to taxpayers this year. “We never said we wouldn’t announce a tax cut,” said Mr. Legault on the sidelines of the announcement.
On Saturday, the Liberal Party and its leader, Dominique Anglade, pledged to lower the tax rate applicable to the first $92,580 of income by 1.5 percentage points. The official opposition party also promises to create a new tax bracket at 27.75% for incomes over $300,000.
According to the calculations of the PLQ, some Quebecers would see up to $1,000 a year coming back into their pockets. These tax measures would dig a hole of two billion dollars in the public purse.
“I understand that the Liberals, in an unconventional way, announce their campaign commitments four months before the election. We will do it in due time, ”said François Legault on Monday.
” It is now “
The Prime Minister invites Quebecers to be “patient”. But the wait is no longer justifiable, underlined Dominique Anglade in an interview with The duty Monday. “The only one who can act [en ce moment], it’s François Legault. I do not understand why it takes so long to act, she hammered. People will move on 1er July. It is now that they are not able to balance their budget. »
The rise in the cost of living has reached dizzying heights since the beginning of 2022. Last April, consumer prices were 6.8% higher than the previous year.
The only one who can act [en ce moment]is Francois Legault. I don’t understand why it’s taking so long to act.
To counter the effects of inflation, the CAQ government has so far opted for ad hoc assistance measures. This spring, Quebecers who earn less than $100,000 were paid $500 from their tax refund. François Legault already promises a second amount “in November, December”, if he is returned to power.
In its platform tabled on Saturday, the Liberal Party undertakes to create a $2,000 “seniors allowance” for Quebecers over 70 who stay at home, to temporarily abolish the collection of the QST on electricity bills and eliminate property transfer duties (“welcome tax”) for the purchase of a first property, in particular. Instead of capping hydroelectricity rates proposed by the CAQ, the PLQ preferred a freeze.
Since the start of the CAQ’s four-year mandate, Finance Minister Eric Girard has always been reluctant to reduce Quebecers’ income tax. When he came to power, he said instead that he wanted to achieve the state’s debt reduction objectives.