Quebec government to unveil budget on March 21

The Quebec government will unveil its next budget on March 21, Finance Minister Eric Girard announced on Thursday. 

Girard said the budget, which is the first since the CAQ secured a new four-year mandate, will make good on promises the party made during the 2022 election campaign. 

"It's an important moment," he told reporters at the National Assembly. "You should expect that it will set the tone for the second mandate."

"In general, we're respecting our commitments. All will be divulged in the budget."

During the 2022 election campaign, the CAQ government promised to lower the personal income tax rate by one percentage point for Quebecers in the bottom two tax brackets, starting in 2023. 

The party also promised to increase spending on its infrastructure plan and boost its education and heath budgets by 3.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively, over the course of its mandate — part of nearly $30 billion in spending promises it made during the campaign. 

Among its specific commitments, the CAQ said it would invest $400 million to train 5,000 more health-care workers, including an additional 660 physicians and devote $1.4 billion over five years to provide more subsidized daycare spots for children.