Quebec premier not ruling out exceeding the $250 million budget

CAQ leadership candidate Christine Frechette, left, looks towards Minister of Finance Eric Girard as he speaks to media alongside Quebec Minister of Administration, France-Élaine Duranceau, right, following a luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, in Montreal on Monday, March 23, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has not ruled out spending more than the $250 million earmarked to help Quebecers, despite a warning from her Finance Minister, Eric Girard.

On May 2, Girard wrote to his boss to warn her that “Quebecers want a responsible premier who doesn’t spend recklessly,” according to Radio-Canada.

He said he was concerned that all the new spending announced by Fréchette would exceed the agreed-upon limit.

“Quebecers are smart and know how to count,” he warned.

Upon her arrival at the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) general council meeting in Lévis on Saturday, the premier defended herself against accusations of being too spendthrift.

“We are working to meet the needs of Quebecers, and the situation is not easy for them right now. We are thinking about the cost of groceries, the cost of housing, (...) and gas,” she said during a press scrum. “The Minister of Finance is doing his job. Now, I am doing mine, which is to find the balance between managing public finances and also meeting the needs of Quebecers.”

Earlier, Girard had tried to downplay the significance of his email, saying he had written “thousands” of similar emails during his years at the National Bank.

“That’s my style: concise, direct. I am the guardian of public finances,” he argued.

Fréchette is attending her first general council meeting as premier. She is scheduled to deliver a speech this afternoon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 23, 2026.