Premier Christine Fréchette has not ruled out spending more than the $250 million planned to help Quebecers, despite the warning of her Finance Minister, Eric Girard.
On May 2, Girard wrote to his boss to warn her that “Quebecers want a responsible premier who does not spend at all costs,” according to Radio-Canada.
He said he was worried that all these new expenses announced by Fréchette would exceed the agreed limit.
“Quebecers are intelligent and know how to count,” he warned.
When she arrived at the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) general council in Lévis on Saturday, the premier defended herself from being too spendthrift.
“We are working to meet the needs of Quebecers, and the situation is not easy right now for (them). We think of the cost of groceries, the cost of housing, (…) gas,” she pleaded in a press scrum.
“The Minister of Finance is doing his job. Now, I’m doing mine, to find the balance between managing public finances and also meeting the needs of Quebecers,” she added.
Earlier, Eric Girard had tried to downplay the importance of his email, saying he had written “thousands” of similar emails since his years at National Bank.
“That’s my style: concise, direct. I am the guardian of public finances,” he said.
Fréchette attended her first General Council as Premier. She is scheduled to give a speech in the afternoon.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
