'We mustn't be alarmist and scare people,' said Quebec finance minister after GDP drop
Quebec Minister of Finance Eric Girard leaves a scrum at the opening of the Coalition Avenir Quebec caucus in Saguenay on Thursday September 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Francis Vachon
The Legault government is urging people not to panic the day after the publication of worrying economic indicators.
Quebec's gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 1.9 per cent in the second quarter, but overall Quebec is doing well, according to Finance Minister Eric Girard.
The official opposition, for its part, is drawing attention to the number of bankruptcies of small and medium-sized businesses and the inflation rate, which is causing households to lose purchasing power.
At a news scrum on Wednesday, Girard tried to be reassuring.
"We're not expecting a negative third quarter in Quebec, since the U.S. economy is very strong, which should be positive for our export sectors," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 27, 2023.
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