Quebec ministers rebuke Ottawa

Province was seeking funds for transit projects

Using strong language for QUEBEC what is a federalist government, two top Quebec cabinet ministers blasted Ottawa Wednesday, saying the province is “extremely disappointed and disconcerted,” the federal government failed to deliver infrastructure cash.

And ratcheting up the pressure, Quebec says it will nevertheless include in its plans what it feels is Ottawa’s share of Quebec’s bigticket infrastructure items, including Montreal’s $6-billion electric train when it tables its own budget next week.

“It could have been a better day,” Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitão lamented Wednesday evening. “The disappointment comes from the fact there’s nothing in the budget, there’s not that clear signal,” added Treasury Board President Pierre Moreau.

“If there’s a failure, it on the federal (government’s) part because they should have been there today and they’re not.”

Tabling Ottawa’s annual budget, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau failed to provide clear details on how he intends to distribute about $81 billion infrastructure money announced in the 2016 budget.

Only a day earlier, Premier Philippe Couillard called on Ottawa to provide a “very strong signal,” that it is committed to funding three priority transit projects: the Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM), the extension of the blue métro line and an express bus system for Quebec City.

If there is one positive thing in the budget, it is money — between $1.2 and $1.5 billion over 10 years — in social transfers for families, Leitão

The disappointment comes from the fact there’s nothing in the budget, there’s not that clear signal.

said, but he quickly added Ottawa is feeling the pinch of letting its deficits grow and now has little wiggle room to meet its promises.

Quebec, on the other hand, will table a third balanced budget in a row next Tuesday.

What irked Moreau — who said he is extremely disappointed and concerned with the budget — is the fact the 39 Quebec Liberal MPs in Ottawa did not seem to go to bat for Quebec’s infrastructure project.

He found it hard to believe they had not heard about the projects given Quebec’s concerted lobbying. Yet the clock is ticking on the project, which is supposed to get rolling at the end of 2017.

Quebec’s thin gruel in the budget opened the door to the opposition to pounce.

“I find it (the budget) insulting,” Parti Québécois finance critic Nicolas Marceau said, noting despite Ottawa’s lack of money it nevertheless gave Ontario’s automobile industry $100 million more.

“The message is that you (Quebec) are irrelevant.”

Coalition Avenir Québec finance critic François Bonnardel said the budget is the “perfect illustration,” of the lack of leadership on the part of Couillard to defend Quebec’s interests.

The opposition noted this is the second federal-provincial setback for the government in a month. Quebec also had to settle for a three per cent health transfer increase from Ottawa when it was after 6 per cent.