QUEBEC CITY - Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand is tabling his budget before Ottawa's this year, but he says it has nothing to do with the long-running debate between the two governments over tax harmonization.
Bachand will bring down his budget on March 17, five days before the federal Conservatives table theirs.
The Quebec budget is being prepared without taking into account the $2.2 billion the province is seeking from Ottawa as compensation for harmonizing its sales tax with the GST.
Despite intensive negotiations, the long-standing contentious debate between Quebec and Ottawa remains unresolved.
And Bachand said Friday that even if a deal is on the horizon, there would be months of technical details to work out before Ottawa cut a cheque for Quebec.
He said one reason to go early is that a lot of the federal money going to Quebec has already been worked out.
"Federal transfers are all settled until 2013 and 2014, while equalization payments are also settled, so there's no uncertainty," he said at a news conference.
There's also another reason for going first: he said he's hoping to avoid all the election storm brewing on Parliament Hill.
"When the federal budget is tabled, it will be in the middle of a pre-election swirl," Bachand said.
Bachand said his federal counterpart, Jim Flaherty, gave him a courtesy call in December or January to tell him the federal budget would be in late March.
"So, at that time I started to make plans to have a budget either on March 17 or 24. So, with Mr. Flaherty having announced the 22nd, we're going on the 17th because, basically, we're ready."
Spending in Quebec's 2011-12 budget is expected to increase by 2.2 per cent, compared with an annual average increase of 4.8 per cent since 2003.
Bachand said the province is still on target to return to a balanced budget in 2013-2014.
"You should be expecting a very responsible budget. We're going back to a balanced budget. We're going to control our debt, but we're doing so while protecting health and education.
"You can expect a budget also turned toward the future."
Determined to achieve the balanced budget within a few years, Bachand said he expects criticism.
"I wouldn't tell you that 50,000 people in the streets will be applauding me because, for sure, maintaining a financial framework is always difficult," Bachand said.
Quebec's powerful unions have tried to convince Bachand, without success so far, to spread out his zero-deficit plan over a longer period.
And the Parti Quebecois family critic, Carole Poirier, said she is skeptical that families will be well served on March 17.
"The inaugural speech by the premier didn't even mention families, so I'm worried," Poirier said.
Premier Jean Charest said during an announcement near Montreal that he is optimistic about the Liberal budget.
"We want to do it in a spirit of sustainable development," Charest said. "It's going to be very green in that respect.
"And rigorous, because we're going to balance our books by 2013-14. We're very committed to that. We'll be among the first in Canada to balance our books, among the first in the world."
Charest told reporters that most of the long-term projects were announced in 2010. The focus remains on cutting administrative costs by 10 per cent, developing the electric car and tapping resources in northern Quebec.
"I'm very, very optimistic. I think it's very exciting the period in which we're going," Charest said.
"We came out of this economic crisis with flying colours. Now that the economy is picking up, we want to take advantage of the fact we're in a good position to go even further."
