Quebec wants to tackle domestic violence with a balanced budget
Minister Eric Girard's second budget, to be tabled on Tuesday, will be balanced and will contain funds to help organizations fighting spousal violence."It has new responsibilities, it comes with resources," launched the Minister of Finance Monday,
while he laced his skates alongside his colleague Isabelle Charest.
In referring to his colleague's “new responsibilities”, he was referring to the action plan against domestic violence that the Prime Minister entrusted to his minister responsible for the Status of Women in December.
The exploits in skating of Isabelle Charest - Olympic medalist in speed skating - did not alone explain her presence with Eric Girard. Helping hands for organizations combating domestic violence and protecting children must appear in the budget, a government source said.
The Minister of Finance has broken the tradition of presenting his shoes on the eve of the budget. A great hockey lover, he swapped his hiking boots, on this winter storm day, for skates with new blades, designed by a Quebec company and “desired by all members of the National League because of their qualities "
“The symbolism is to go faster to create wealth, [to] catch up with Ontario. And it is also in keeping with the environment: rather than changing the entire skates, I chose to change only the blades. And there is another symbolism, which is the team, ”listed Minister Girard.
[Minister Isabelle Charest] has new responsibilities, it comes with resources
- Eric GirardThe budget he will table Tuesday will be balanced, he revealed without much surprise. “We have had surpluses for the past five years. Public finances are healthy, and it would be normal for the financial framework to be in balance over the entire forecast, "he said.
Like last year, the Girard budget will probably be spendthrift. “We have planned significant expenses, operating expenses in the large departments. Significant infrastructure spending is also planned. I think the government must make efforts to stimulate the economy in this period of uncertainty, "revealed Prime Minister François Legault in the morning on the sidelines
of an event organized at Ahuntsic College.
No last minute changes
If Eric Girard responds with his budget to the "uncertainty" caused by the coronavirus , he has not spent the last few days refining his document, according to market fluctuations. “When we were preparing the budget, we saw clouds. The epidemic had started, we took note. But, did we change the budget, for example, last week based on what was going on? Not at all,
"he said, noting that decisions on the budget were made three weeks ago.
And anyway, a budget is not designed to make cyclical adjustments in response to events that happen overnight, said Eric Girard in a response in English. “The budget is a structural plan to improve the competitiveness of businesses, to help the economy reach its full potential, to invest in services, health and education. We do this. If necessary, if demand is weak in the private sector and we have to support it with public funds, we have the capacity to do so, at the right time, ”he assured.
As for the possibility of drawing on the Québec stabilization reserve, it seems unlikely. “The stabilization reserve is the sum of the surpluses that we have accumulated over the past year. And by definition, by law, these surpluses can be used to neutralize a deficit,
if there is a deficit, ”he began.
To a journalist who told him that Quebec therefore had no access to it, since no deficit was in sight, Minister Girard replied: "Exact."
while he laced his skates alongside his colleague Isabelle Charest.
In referring to his colleague's “new responsibilities”, he was referring to the action plan against domestic violence that the Prime Minister entrusted to his minister responsible for the Status of Women in December.
The exploits in skating of Isabelle Charest - Olympic medalist in speed skating - did not alone explain her presence with Eric Girard. Helping hands for organizations combating domestic violence and protecting children must appear in the budget, a government source said.
The Minister of Finance has broken the tradition of presenting his shoes on the eve of the budget. A great hockey lover, he swapped his hiking boots, on this winter storm day, for skates with new blades, designed by a Quebec company and “desired by all members of the National League because of their qualities "
“The symbolism is to go faster to create wealth, [to] catch up with Ontario. And it is also in keeping with the environment: rather than changing the entire skates, I chose to change only the blades. And there is another symbolism, which is the team, ”listed Minister Girard.
[Minister Isabelle Charest] has new responsibilities, it comes with resources
- Eric GirardThe budget he will table Tuesday will be balanced, he revealed without much surprise. “We have had surpluses for the past five years. Public finances are healthy, and it would be normal for the financial framework to be in balance over the entire forecast, "he said.
Like last year, the Girard budget will probably be spendthrift. “We have planned significant expenses, operating expenses in the large departments. Significant infrastructure spending is also planned. I think the government must make efforts to stimulate the economy in this period of uncertainty, "revealed Prime Minister François Legault in the morning on the sidelines
of an event organized at Ahuntsic College.
No last minute changes
If Eric Girard responds with his budget to the "uncertainty" caused by the coronavirus , he has not spent the last few days refining his document, according to market fluctuations. “When we were preparing the budget, we saw clouds. The epidemic had started, we took note. But, did we change the budget, for example, last week based on what was going on? Not at all,
"he said, noting that decisions on the budget were made three weeks ago.
And anyway, a budget is not designed to make cyclical adjustments in response to events that happen overnight, said Eric Girard in a response in English. “The budget is a structural plan to improve the competitiveness of businesses, to help the economy reach its full potential, to invest in services, health and education. We do this. If necessary, if demand is weak in the private sector and we have to support it with public funds, we have the capacity to do so, at the right time, ”he assured.
As for the possibility of drawing on the Québec stabilization reserve, it seems unlikely. “The stabilization reserve is the sum of the surpluses that we have accumulated over the past year. And by definition, by law, these surpluses can be used to neutralize a deficit,
if there is a deficit, ”he began.
To a journalist who told him that Quebec therefore had no access to it, since no deficit was in sight, Minister Girard replied: "Exact."