Quebec nat’l assembly critical of federal budget

QUEBEC — The Quebec national assembly adopted a motion Thursday expressing the province’s “great disappointment” with the federal budget. It passed by a 95-0 margin, with two abstentions. The motion to be sent to Ottawa highlights what is described as the absence of federal commitments in areas the province considers priorities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likened the initiative to a political “game” in which the federal government would inevitably emerge the loser.

“If I had said exactly how everything would be done, that we (the federal government) were going to do everything, they would have said, ’My God, it’s not up to you to decide that, it’s up to us,’” Trudeau said in Toronto. “I understand the game being played.”

The motion mentions specific areas the province wanted addressed in the budget: the extension of the Montreal subway system; the construction of an electric rail network in the city; softwood lumber; and compensation for Quebec cheese producers.