Quebec delivered a balanced budget Tuesday that pledged to return $1 billion to taxpayers.

Families were the big winners, with around $550 million of the tax return to be mailed out in quarterly cheques to parents of children under 18.

"It's probably the first time in Canada that there has been such a measure," Finance Minister Yves Seguin said.

For example, a couple with two children under 18 will get quarterly cheques of up to $750.

The budget also eliminates the provincial sales tax on diapers, baby bottles and items used for breast-feeding.

Other cuts in the 2004-2005 budget come in the form of a $240-million work premium for low-income workers and $220 million in tax cuts through the simplification of the province's tax system.

The budget will also boost health-care spending by 5.1 per cent, or $1 billion over last year. Education funding was increased by 2.7 per cent, or $309 million.