Business groups say they are pleased with the budget Quebec tabled Tuesday, though some say the books have been balanced on the backs of taxpayers.
By abolishing the health tax and adding an extra tax cut, the average taxpayer will save $255 per year.
“I think it's a step in the right direction, but they don't go far enough,” said Carl Vallee of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Vallee said the taxpayers’ federation would have rather seen deeper spending cuts and put more money back into Quebecers' pockets.
“We fundamentally believe that Quebecers know how to spend their hard-earned money better than the government of Quebec,” he said.
Business groups are pleased, saying that at a time of uncertainty in the U.S., with the unpredictable President Donald Trump, they are happy to see the Quebec government spending hundreds of millions of dollars of new money on the manufacturing sector and innovation.
“Artificial intelligence, numeration, digitalization of companies, life sciences – these are areas that are very active in the Montreal area and this is a massive investment,” said Michel Leblanc of the Montreal Board of Trade.
There's also more money for healthcare:$100 million to reduce waiting times in hospitals and $55 million to hire more people in long-term care facilities.
While many applaud that new money, others wanted to see more spending.
“From my point of view, we should invest more in family doctors but that's not in this budget,” said patients’ rights advocate Pierre Blain.
While the budget allocates $3.4 billion for schools over five years, many teachers say it doesn't make up for the $1.3 billion the Liberals have cut since they were elected.
“Clearly what they grant to public schools is insufficient,” said Sylvain Mallette of the Quebec Federation of Teachers.
Others complain universities aren't getting any new money, because their funding is only increasing by the rate of inflation.
Public transit groups, however, are pleased: The budget confirms major transit initiatives including $1.3 billion for the light-rail train, and $808 million for other projects, including the extension of the metro's blue line, a rapid bus system for Quebec City and more.
“The Quebec government is adding more than $300 million to increase the services for public transit, so more buses, more frequency with various transit systems,” said Steven Guilbault of Equiterre.
The liberals argue they've done what they were elected to do: control the debt and stimulate the economy.
To highlight that, the Finance Minister Carlos Leitao pointed out that Quebec created 90,800 jobs last year, more than anywhere else in Canada.
