QUEBEC - The Quebec government is warning that it might abandon its plan to balance next year's budget.
Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau says the government does not want to sacrifice economic growth in exchange for eliminating the deficit.
In its last budget, the PQ forecast that it would balance the books by 2013-14.
Last year's zero-deficit pledge by the newly elected minority PQ government was widely viewed as a way to shore up its economic credentials amid criticism that it leaned too far to the left.
The deficit, as revealed Thursday, was $1.6 billion, about $100 million more than expected. However the government also spent $395 million less than expected.
Marceau also said that anti-corruption measures will save one billion dollars.
"Morally, of course, it's important to fight corruption but it also has an impact on the pockets of Quebecers," he said.
The Liberals said that PQ's financial mismanagement began in the spring.
“If you look at the first three months of the fiscal year. April, May and June, they've overspent by 40 per cent,” said Liberal finance critic Pierre Paradis.
Paradis predicted that Quebec's credit rating will slip if the books are not balanced. The government would then have to cut services as a result.
Paradis said that PQ overspending was reminiscent of what happened a decade ago.
"When we came into office in 2003, the finance minister at the time was Pauline Marois and we were left with a hole of $3.4 billion," said Paradis.
The Liberals have invited the finance minister to present more details at a committee hearing on November 20.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
