Fortin weighs in on Quebec’s fall economic update

Fortin weighs in on Quebec’s fall economic update

Following Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard presenting his fall economic update on Thursday (November 21), Pontiac MNA André Fortin, who sits in the opposition, weighed in on the state of the province’s finances.

Speaking to media in Quebec City yesterday, Girard announced an $11 billion deficit for 2024/25, though he said they planned to balance the budget by 2029/30. He pointed out that the structural deficit, which is the part of the deficit not related to the state of the economy, dropped from $4 billion to $3.2 billion.

One change that Fortin highlighted as of concern for Pontiac residents was the changing of a tax credit for those who remain in the workforce beyond the age of 60, as the eligible age was bumped  up to 65.

Fortin also discussed the new funding for the forestry sector, which is paired with federal funding for reforestation efforts. He said that Donald Trump’s election in the United States, and the impact of possible tariffs on Quebec’s lumber and agricultural industries was causing a lot of uncertainty.