CAQ MNA says ‘we won’t bury our heads in the sand' on budget cuts' effects

The legislature building, known as the National Assembly, is seen in Quebec City, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Accused by the Quebec opposition of being muzzled by their party, some CAQ MNAs admit that their fellow citizens are complaining about the effects of budget cuts.

Pressed with questions by journalists on Thursday morning, some MNAs said that citizens were not complaining any more than on other issues, some of their colleagues said that they were not hearing about it, and others said that it was not a question of cuts.

“And yet, budget cuts are a reality for all the regions,” said Dubuc MNA François Tremblay. “Are people worried? Absolutely, I think people are worried in every riding.”

“People’s daily lives are affected by the budget cuts,” said Les Plaines MNA Lucie Lecours, before going to the CAQ caucus. “We won’t bury our heads in the sand.”

“They talk to us about their issues, we’re there to listen, that’s our role,” she continued, but added that she had another concern. “What concerns me is why we end up spending more on government departments than we had initially planned.”

Orford MNA Gilles Bélanger said that “it can happen, yes,” when people talk to him about cuts to services, but did not elaborate.

The MNA for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin, her Bellechasse colleague, Stéphanie Lachance, and the Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, declined to answer questions.

“I have no comment,” said Lotbinière-Frontenac MNA Isabelle Lecours.

The government’s chief whip, Mario Laframboise, did not answer whether citizens had spoken to him about the effects of the cuts, but said that all the government was asking organizations to do was to respect their budgets.

“Positions have been opened up, so things are going very well for us in general,” said Beauce-Sud MNA Samuel Poulin.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 30, 2025.