(Quebec) The Legault government does not hide it: its sixth budget which it will present on Tuesday will be “largely in deficit”, so much so that it does not rule out postponing the return to a balanced budget.
Quebec was supposed to return to zero deficit in 2027-2028. But economic stagnation and recent pay rises for public sector workers have derailed the plan, it has been suggested.
In these circumstances, difficult choices are necessary, indicated the government, which affirms that it does not want to cut services to the population or increase taxes.
Postponing the return to a balanced budget is therefore an option, but it is not without consequences, several groups have warned, citing an issue of “intergenerational equity”.
It is young people who will have to bear the additional burden of debt, the Association of Quebec Economists noted in a recent memorandum.
For their part, the opposition parties did not fail to point out that the Legault government dipped into the Generations Fund last year in order to finance tax cuts.
They deplored the delivery of “electoralist” checks to the population in a context of inflation, and the government’s weak position last fall in the face of public sector unions.
In recent days, the Parti Québécois (PQ) has also highlighted the inability of the CAQ government to collect all the amounts it is demanding from the federal government, particularly in health.
To clean up public finances, the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) notably requested a review of programs and a reduction in government subsidies granted to businesses.
The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) and Québec solidaire (QS) have called for measures to revive residential construction, while Quebec is facing a major housing crisis.