Helped by the “exceptional performance” of the economy in 2021, the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, will specify on Tuesday how much money his government will put back in the pockets of taxpayers to counter the rising cost of living.
Who will be entitled to this one-time assistance? The richest, like the poorest? How many checks will be distributed? The Minister of Finance carefully avoided spilling the beans on the eve of the last budget before the elections.
Putting on his new running shoes at the traditional shoe ceremony, Mr. Girard recalled that at the start of the year, 3.3 million low- and middle-income Quebecers received “exceptional” and “targeted” assistance. from $200 to $275 to combat the “surprise” increase in the cost of living.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
For his very last budget before the elections, the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, once once more procured a pair of running shoes, “performance shoes”, he pointed out in front of the cameras.
“And there, we are looking to make a more general application measure,” reiterated Minister Girard, refusing to confirm whether all taxpayers will receive a check.
In recent weeks, Prime Minister François Legault has hammered home his intention to “give an amount that is fixed for everyone” in order to counter the increase, among other things, in the price of gasoline and the grocery basket.
The deficit has shrunk
Mr. Girard took the opportunity on Monday to announce good news: Quebec’s structural deficit – the long-term negative balance, which will remain following the pandemic – “has halved”.
This deficit, which amounted to more than $6 billion a year ago, is now “below the $3 billion mark”, reported the Minister of Finance.
Despite the “exceptional performance” of the economy in 2021, Mr. Girard promises a “prudent” budget marked by “responsible management of public finances”.
The investments will be concentrated in the main missions of the State which are health, education, the economy and the environment, he mentioned.
In the current context of uncertainty, there is no question of advancing the return to a balanced budget expected for 2027-2028, at least not now.
“No, because the goal is for the return to a balanced budget to take place with as little effort as possible. That is to say that the transition is as smooth as possible, so we keep the 2027-2028 objective,” explained Minister Girard.
High degree of uncertainty
“It is possible that we will reach equilibrium a year before, two years before,” he said. But we still have a high degree of uncertainty: there is the pandemic, there is the invasion of Ukraine by Russia… So we have a prudent financial framework. »
The budget will thus include several “prudent elements” to mitigate this uncertainty.
“The interests of Quebecers are at the heart of the budget that we are going to present,” summarized Minister Girard, in a brief video published Monday on his social networks.