Opposition parties say the finance minister’s plan for the $2.2-billion surplus has come at the expense of all Quebecers.
Finance Minister Carlos Leitao announced the surplus in his economic update Tuesday, saying it would be reinvested into health, education and economic development in the regions. He also announced the elimination of the health tax as of January 1, 2017 -- two years earlier than planned.
The PQ and CAQ both said the government made the wrong choices, grilling the Liberals about it Wednesday during Question Period in the National Assembly.
"This is a shameful surplus," said Parti Quebecois leader Jean-Francois Lisée, adding it was "the worst surplus in the history of Quebec because it has been gained not though economic growth but through pain."
Leitao scoffed at the notion.
"Coming from the PQ that's rather amusing," he said. "They're the ones who presented a budget in 2013 without the spending credits. They're the ones who left the house in a total mess; they're the ones who admitted themselves that, 'Whoops, we made a mistake. We can't count', so no I don't have any lessons to take from the PQ on public finances."
The CAQ argued the elimination of the deficit should come with tax relief for families, because the government didn't cut income taxes.
"It's either a cynical manoeuvre to keep some money for 2018 or a total lack of vision," said Francois Legault.
Premier Philippe Couillard said the opposition leaders just couldn't accept that the Liberal government was proving to be good administrators.
"I understand that it's a bad day for the opposition in the face of such good news for the population of Quebec," said the Premier.
Lisée said the surplus in the budget was not good news for Quebecers.
"Usually a surplus is a good thing, but this surplus is exactly the amount - $2.2 billion - that's been extracted from our kids, from our patients, from our elderly in homecare by compressing the services," said Lisée.
Health Minister Gaetan Barrette said Lisée and other PQ and CAQ MNAs were exaggerating.
"It is not true that patients in our long term care facilities are eating powdered potatoes every day. It did happen, but this is not a day-to-day practice," he said.
