By Canadian Press

Quebec 2021-22 budget to focus on economy, health and education: finance minister

Mar 25, 2021 | 2:03 AM

Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard is scheduled to table the province’s fiscal 2021-22 budget today.

Girard told reporters Tuesday the budget will focus on restarting Quebec’s economy, health-care network and education system following the upheaval to the province’s finances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He warned it will be a challenge to return to the era of consecutive balanced budgets that existed before the health crisis set in last year.

A November economic update projected a record $15-billion deficit for this fiscal year, the province’s first deficit since 2014. 

That update also forecasted an $8.3-billion deficit in fiscal 2021-22 and $7 billion the following year.

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Girard’s fiscal 2020-21 budget, tabled in March 2020, was balanced and included spending increases intended to help the province weather the COVID-19 pandemic, then in its early days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2021.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press