The federal budget is expected to have a big impact in the last stretch of Quebec's provincial election campaign.
Liberal Leader Jean Charest is hoping the budget's main offering of fiscal imbalance measures will buy him political capital in the last week of his campaign for re-election as polls suggest his party is in a three-way tie with the Action Démocratique du Québec and Parti Québécois.
Quebec Liberal and PQ leaders Jean Charest and Andre Boisclair chat during the St. Patrick's Day parade in Montreal.
(Ian Barrett/Canadian Press)
Charest has long boasted about the relationship he's cultivated with Ottawa, and promised the budget will be one that "carries our signature, the Liberals," as he said to supporters at a Sunday rally in Vachon.
Ottawa is expected to be generous towards Quebec, with increased transfer payments for health, education and social services, but it's not meant to be seen as an endorsement for the Liberal government.
"What the budget will say is how we keep our promises to Canadians," said Michael Fortier, Conservative senator and federal public works minister.
PQ Leader André Boisclair remains skeptical about Charest's claims on the fiscal imbalance, and warned Quebecers about how the Liberal leader will spin the budget.
"This money is not a present from Mr. Harper to Mr. Charest. This money belongs to Quebecers," he said.
"I think we can fairly anticipate a monetary agreement [with Ottawa]. But, will we have a fiscal agreement?" he said to CBC.
Mario Dumont of the ADQ said Charest will try to spin the budget as evidence he's Quebec's greatest champion in Ottawa, when all the credit should go to the federal Conservatives.
"Stephen Harper, he respects his promises," Dumont said.
'It depends on your value judgments': economist
Québec Solidaire Leader Françoise David said it's unrealistic to expect one budget to resolve the fiscal imbalance, but she said any spending increases bode well for the province.
Some Quebec economists say even if Ottawa is generous in this budget, it won't resolve the fiscal imbalance.
"There are some people who believe that redistribution across provinces is unfair, or unjust, and there are other people who believe the opposite.
"Now, who is right, who is wrong can't be said. It depends on your value judgments," said Jean-Yves Duclos, an economist at Laval University.
The election is on March 26.
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| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
- Que. Liberals take minority win with grain of salt
- Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he'll build bridges with the Parti Québécois and the Action Démocratique du Québec to ensure a stable minority government.
- Dumont will work with Quebec Premier Charest
- Quebec's new Opposition Leader Mario Dumont said he wants stability at the national assembly and pledged to work with the Liberal minority government on a case-by-case basis.
- Boisclair remains at helm after PQ finishes 3rd
- André Boisclair is staying on as leader of the Parti Québécois and vowed to help rebuild the fractured party after it suffered major losses in Monday's provincial election.
- Quebec election result 'good news' for Canada: PM
- Stephen Harper says voters in the Quebec election have used their ballots to reject calls for another referendum in a "great result" for Canada.
- Charest keeps seat as Liberals cling to power in Quebec
- Quebecers are waking up to a minority Liberal government — the first minority in the province in 130 years — and a new official Opposition.