'We mustn't be alarmist and scare people,' said Quebec finance minister after GDP drop

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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Al Gore calls UAE hosting COP28 'ridiculous,' slams oil CEO appointed to lead climate talks
Climate advocate and former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday called into question the decision to hold the COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, a leading producer of the world’s oil.
Buckingham Palace releases this year’s Christmas card
Buckingham Palace released an image of the Christmas card that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be sending out this year.
'No one else has done this on the planet': Guilbeault insists emissions cap delay is due to novelty
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault says the delay in announcing details of his government’s proposed oil and gas sector emissions cap is due to its uniqueness and to wanting to get it right.
'People are confused': Survey suggests Canadians need education on Charter rights
While one-third of Canadians say they have read the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, many fail to distinguish between its text and that of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, a new survey suggests.
Canada has a secretive history of adoption, and some want it brought to light
In a theatre in St. John's, N.L., a murmur spreads through the audience as people timidly raise their hands. They have been asked if they saw their own stories reflected in the film they just watched -- 'A Quiet Girl.'
In inaugural speech, Argentina's Javier Milei prepares nation for painful shock adjustment
It wasn't the most uplifting of inaugural addresses. Rather, Argentina's newly empowered President Javier Milei presented figures to lay bare the scope of the nation's economic 'emergency,' and sought to prepare the public for a shock adjustment with drastic public spending cuts.
Trump dismisses warnings that his victory would threaten democracy and says Biden is the real threat
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday characterized warnings that his victory in 2024 would represent a threat to democracy as a 'hoax' and 'Democrat misinformation.'
Catholic priest in small Nebraska community dies after being attacked in church
A Catholic priest in a small Nebraska community died Sunday after being attacked in a church rectory, authorities said.
Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
Elon Musk has restored the X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pointing to a poll on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that came out in favour of the Infowars host who repeatedly called the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.