Before his Finance Minister revealed the details of his new budget, François Legault said he wanted to reduce the government’s inefficient spending.
• Read also: Return to balanced budget: Legault wants to focus on economic growth and reduction of bureaucracy
This is an excellent idea!
The problem is that to know if an expenditure is effective or not, you have to analyze it, monitor it, carry out an impact study.
However, this is exactly what the CAQ does not do!
DRIVE BLIND
Here is an extract from a text that journalist Francis Halin published on November 30 in The newspaper.
“While François Legault is developing his new rapid training in construction, we have learned that more than $294 million in public funds have been put into similar programs without being able to measure their effectiveness with clear indicators.
“Until June, there was no way of knowing whether or not people trained in these training programs were subsequently working in their new field.”
Every day at QUB, I discuss economics with Yves Daoust, the director of the Money section.
- Listen to Yves Daoust’s economic segment via
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And regularly, Yves tells me stories like this.
“We invested millions of dollars in this measure, but we don’t know if this measure was effective or not.”
“We invested significant sums to resolve a problem, but we do not know if the problem was finally resolved.”
In short, there is no follow-up!
Note, the Legault government is not alone in acting in this way. This seems to be the rule in Quebec.
On November 2, 2015, my colleague Jean-Nicolas Blanchet published a text on the numerous programs funded by the Couillard government.
“Quebec ignores the effectiveness of its countless programs,” he wrote. Even if the rules require it, the public administration simply does not evaluate them.”
“It is always impossible for the government to formally conclude that this or that program is fulfilling its mission.”
And which party tore its shirt saying that this lack of follow-up on the part of the Couillard government was unacceptable?
The CAQ!
Who is in power today… and who is doing exactly the same thing!
STOP WASTING OUR MONEY!
Who presented a plan aimed at “solving once and for all the chronic performance deficit from which the Quebec state suffers” in November 2015?
Eric Caire!
And who was in charge of the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs during the catastrophic SAAQclic fiasco, which ended up costing Quebec taxpayers $41 million?
Eric Caire!
The more it changes, the more it is the same…
I have no problem paying taxes… As long as they are used for something!
The problem is that we don’t know what the money we send to the government is used for.
It goes into the pot, and everyone helps themselves.
And when we ask what our money was used for, they send us away saying it’s none of our business!
Sorry, but that’s JUST OUR business! Because you are spending OUR money!
Would it be too much to ask that you stop sinking billions of our precious dollars into programs of all kinds that serve no purpose?