Quebec Liberal leader Dominique Anglade proposed on Sunday to lift the QST on electricity bills "up to $4,000" on a temporary basis.
"The cost of living situation is extremely difficult for everyone," she told a news conference in Montreal, citing economic uncertainty, high inflation and the Ukrainian conflict. "It's not a luxury in Quebec to have heat and electricity."
Criticizing Premier Francios Legault's decision, which in 2019 indexed the rates of Hydro-Quebec to inflation, she proposed to "put a freeze" on them.
The rates were frozen in 2020, but must be indexed from 2021 to 2024.
The consumer price index inflation rate was 5.1 per cent in January, according to the Bank of Canada.
The official opposition leader also wants to abolish once and for all the provincial tax on certain necessities, such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and non-prescription drugs.
In total, she estimates that these measures would cost the government $1.5 billion, but she says the additional revenues generated over the past year are more than enough to cover the new expenses.
Anglade called on the premier to "take the proposal we are making today and apply it to the budget."
The budget is scheduled for March 22.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 13, 2022.
