Quebec legislature returns, Liberals say government must show it can pay for promises

MONTREAL -- Quebec's legislature resumes sitting Tuesday for the first time since the Oct. 1 election, and Premier Francois Legault has two weeks before the winter break to begin delivering on his party's campaign promises.

Among Legault's commitments were pledges to cut taxes, launch large-scale infrastructure projects, reduce immigration levels and make kindergarten available to four-year-olds across the province.

The legislature will elect a speaker Tuesday, followed Wednesday by Legault's inaugural speech outlining government priorities.

Finance Minister Eric Girard will deliver an economic update Dec. 3, in which Quebecers will learn the size of the projected surplus for this fiscal year, which ends March 31.

Liberal finance critic Carlos Leitao told reporters Monday the economic update will be an important test of the new government.

Legault and his ministers have tough choices to make, Leitao said, because despite what he called a "considerable surplus" left over by the Liberal government, Quebec's finances "aren't a bottomless well."

Last March, the Liberals said the province would finish the fiscal year roughly $3 billion in surplus, but Girard and Legault have both challenged that number since they took office.

"The flexibility is substantial," Leitao, the former finance minister, said, "but the promises (Legault made) were more substantial -- and many of them were not costed. They have to choose what programs they are going to abandon or else tell Quebecers how they are going to pay for them."

It's unclear how many bills Legault's ministers will table before the end of the short session. But Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette has said he will submit his plan to reduce annual immigration by 20 per cent before the Christmas recess.

Quebec is expected to welcome no more than 40,000 immigrants next year, down from about 50,000 this year. Legault has justified the reduction by stating too few newcomers have sufficient knowledge of French and their unemployment rates are unacceptably high.

Between January and August 2018, however, the unemployment rate for immigrants aged between 25 and 54 dropped sharply, from 8.1 per cent to 6 per cent, according to an independent research institute created by the Conference Board of Canada and Universite de Montreal's business school.

Legault's government has also promised legislation banning public sector workers in positions of authority from wearing conspicuous religious symbols at work. But Legault has said the legislation, which would affect employees such as judges, police officers and teachers, will not be tabled before the spring.

Ewan Sauves, a spokesman for Legault, said Quebecers voted for change Oct. 1.

"We will have a clear game plan to present, built around our three priorities: education, economy and health care," Sauves said of Legault's speech Wednesday. "Quebecers want change, and we expect to meet their expectations."

Leitao said he wants the economic update to include Legault's commitment to transfer 1 percentage point of Quebec's 10 per cent sales tax to municipalities. He also said he expects to see a clear plan to address labour shortages affecting businesses across the province.