Reactions to the the Quebec Government’s 2021-2022 budget

Reactions to the the Quebec Government’s 2021-2022 budget

The tabling of the 2021-2022 budget provoked several reactions across the province. Here are the different reactions collected by CHIP 101,9.

The Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) highlighted certain measures which should have a positive impact on the development of the regions. In an interview with CHIP 101.9, the president of the UMQ, Suzanne Roy, seems to be satisfied with the measures of this budget.

“For a year, the COVID-19 crisis has had a considerable impact on the economy of our regions. Several sectors of activity have been severely affected, causing a great deal of uncertainty for the coming months and years. The Quebec government’s budget plan responds to the demands formulated by the Union, while targeting effective means to stimulate the economy in the long term. I am thinking, among other things, of the amounts allocated for public transit, for our city centers as well as for our municipal buildings, ”said interim president of the UMQ and mayor of Sainte-Julie, Suzanne Roy.

Among the budgetary measures, the UMQ particularly welcomed:
– $ 1.5 billion to improve mobility and electrify public transit;
– $ 2.6 billion to keep the road network in good condition
– $ 1.2 billion for high speed Internet access;
– $ 20 million to support interregional bus transportation;
– $ 304.5 million to increase the supply of social and affordable housing;

The French interview with Suzanne Roy is available here.

The opposition calls the budget traditional

Asked by CHIP 101.9, the MNA for Pontiac, André Fortin, said he saw the government’s approach as a rather traditional way of reviving the economy and little innovation.

Locally, André Fortin believes that agriculture, an important sector for the Pontiac, has been left behind.

“I find that the industry that has been left behind is agriculture. There is really nothing that has been put forward despite the difficulties of this industry, I find that unfortunate, ”said André Fortin.

The full interview with André Fortin is available here.

Reaction of the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec

For their part, the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) said it was satisfied with the continued investment in health and social services in order to continue to manage the health crisis and support direct care to vulnerable people (seniors, caregivers, Indigenous communities and young people), particularly in mental health. However, they deplore the lack of guidelines and plans aimed at recognizing and maintaining nursing expertise within the health network in order to improve the latter’s performance.

“The quality of care is not just a question of remuneration, the number of people involved or the modernization of infrastructure. It is important to recognize the essential role of nursing expertise in providing care and services to meet the increasingly complex health needs of the Quebec population. We will have to work on this in the coming years to hope for an improvement in the performance of the health system and, consequently, in access to care for all, ”said Luc Mathieu, President of the OIIQ.

A positive reaction from the Collectif autonome des Carrefour jeunesse emploi du Québec

The Collectif autonome des Carrefour jeunesse emploi du Québec (the Collectif) says it welcomes the 2021-2022 budget of the Government of Quebec with enthusiasm. Among a series of important measures, it is taking a significant step, according to this Collectiff, to restore the agility of carrefours jeunesse-emploi (CJE). The CJEs of Quebec have declared that they have been hoping for these measures for 6 years. “It’s 2015, it’s both historic and painful. The government of the time abruptly withdrew funding for the mission of the CJEs, thus hampering their ability to act locally and reach all young adults, regardless of their origin and socioeconomic status, ”recalls Ms. Martine Morissette, president of the Collective, and who is also at the origin of the creation of the CJE.