PQ presents balanced-budget plan before Quebec leaders' debate

The Parti Québécois has unveiled a fiscal plan that it says would bring Quebec back to a balanced budget by 202829, a year earlier than the province’s current target. The announcement came on Tuesday, just before the first leaders’ debate in Quebec’s election campaign. According to the party, the plan would rely on $6.6 billion in spending cuts over five years. The PQ says the money saved would be redirected toward health care, education and support for small and mediumsized businesses. PQ candidate and economist Nicolas Marceau said the party waited to release its plan until it had finalized all of its campaign promises. The proposal comes as voters remain undecided, and as party leaders prepare to debate key issues including the economy, affordability, housing, immigration and language policy. The article says Quebec’s balancedbudget law requires the province to eliminate its deficit by 202930, while the auditor general has warned that significant work will be needed to improve the province’s finances. The PQ is using the pledge to broaden its appeal beyond the sovereignty question that has long defined the party.