By Murray Sherriffs
Finance Minister Éric Girard has presented the Legault government’s 2026 pre-election budget, which reflects sluggish GDP growth and ongoing economic uncertainty caused by President Trump’s policies.
Quebecers have learned that they cannot expect major new spending—no tax cuts, no government cheques to Quebecer—but they can expect “…stability, predictability and adequate funding for health care and education.”
The $170+ billion budget projects a deficit of just under $7 billion.
The budget provides $250-million that could be used by the next Premier who will be selected by CAQ members on April 12.
Minister Girard says that the trade dispute with the United States is making it harder for Quebec to attract investments, estimating that uncertainty around NAFTA that has kept Quebec’s GDP “depressed” by some 1.5 percentage points.
The Quebec budget provides monies to convert 5,000 unsubsidized daycare spaces into subsidized spaces at just under $10 a day.
