QUEBEC CITY – The Couillard government will not shelve an expert report laying out billions in spending cuts. In fact, it will continue to implement its recommendations.
The advisory committee is headed by former Liberal minister Lucienne Robillard. It is in charge of finding $3.2 billion to balance the budget, and recommended scaling back funding for municipalities. The report found city expenses were growing at a rate of 5.8 per cent while the rest of the province scaled down to 1.3 per cent.
The recommendation didn’t fall on deaf ears; treasury board president Martin Coiteux has already trimmed transfers by $300 million. He said he could go further in next year’s municipal fiscal pact.
“We’ve already taken some major decisions and some major decisions are still to come,” Coiteux told reporters.
Reaction from Montreal City Hall came quickly.
“I want you to be very vigilant about our budget Wednesday and you’ll see the way we’re handling our expenses,” said Mayor Denis Coderre.
Cities have so far promised not to increase taxes as a result, but they may have to cut services to the population, as families struggle with higher daycare fees. The Robillard committee recommended increasing fees to $35 a day.
“It’s already expensive so I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask upfront more money,” said Julie Miville-Deschênes from the Council on the Status of Women.
The government said it will do everything it takes to balance the budget in 2015-2016. It could mean immediate changes in agriculture, ambulance services and higher education, while the government waits for a third Robillard report expected to tackle problems in health care.
Discontent is growing and even the CAQ is complaining about the impact of streamlining on taxpayers.
“They should clean up their own backyard first and keep their promise of not increasing tariffs beyond inflation,” said CAQ MNA Mario Laframboise.
The Couillard government promised middle-class Quebecers won’t be the only ones taking out their wallets. Ministers are considering another Robillard recommendation to slash their own discretionary budgets which would mean savings of about $14 million a year.
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