(Québec) The Legault government welcomes the budget tabled Tuesday by the federal Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, particularly the measures aimed at stimulating the production of clean energy to which Hydro-Québec will have access.
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard said when he arrived in Parliament on Wednesday that the tax credits for hydroelectric projects and for the manufacture of batteries are “extremely interesting for us”.
On the other hand, Quebec intends to request a withdrawal with compensation from the federal dental care program, while the provincial government already has a similar program. Before funding new programs like this one, added Minister Girard, existing programs should be adequately funded. The provinces and Quebec have been complaining for years about federal health underfunding, despite the most recent federal-provincial agreement.
Written in red ink, the Freeland budget projects a $40 billion deficit this year. His Quebec counterpart, however, is not worried. “The level of Canadian government debt is not worrisome,” Mr. Girard said.