Quebec going back to the polls

[Pierre the Great]

well that didn't last long. lol

So who's going to gain from this new election?

This has to be the shortest government in Canadian history. Clark's government wasn't even this short.

Quebecers may soon head back to the polls

Quebec Premier Jean Charest kept an election promise on Thursday, giving Quebecers a billion-dollar tax cut. But without opposition support, voters may soon head back to the polls.

Both the Action democratique du Quebec and Parti Quebecois have said they will vote against the budget.

Finance Minister Monique Jerome-Forget announced $950 million in income tax cuts across all income levels, and nearly $300 million in other tax-saving measures.

Under the income tax cuts, a couple with two children and a family income of $75,000 per year will save $984.

"If you're a family and you receive a thousand dollars, you can do a fair amount of things with that," Jerome-Forget told reporters.

The minority Liberals, however, need the support of at least one opposition party to pass the budget and cling to power in a vote expected in early June.

The ADQ immediately repeated that it would vote against the budget, while the PQ made a similar declaration later in the day.

"It's an irresponsible budget," said PQ finance critic Francois Legault.

Full Story:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

PQ throws down gauntlet on Charest's tax cut

Quebec's Liberal minority government faces defeat within one week as opposition parties line up against proposed $950-million budget measure

QUEBEC — Quebec opposition parties say they will vote against the Liberal minority government's budget tabled Thursday, a political crisis that could either spell defeat for Premier Jean Charest or force him to backpedal on his commitment to cut income taxes.

In a hastily called news conference, the Parti Québécois Thursday night warned that if the Liberals do not back away from the tax cut proposed in Thursday's budget, it will have to face the consequences of its decision.

"It is not true that we alone will bear the burden of what may follow," interim PQ leader François Gendron said last night. "The new political reality is that it is a minority government and that it should have behaved accordingly. Rather than seeking our support, the Premier chose confrontation. In the current circumstances, it is clear that we have no other choice but to vote against this budget."

Full Globe and Mail Article (goes more in depth)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

Edited May 25, 2007 by Pierre the Great

[Chips]

Damn! I saw this coming. I knew that this would be coming soon to a voting booth near quebec.. but this quickly, it must a record!

Watching the ADQ claim seat after seat in the last round was un-real; If they do call another snap election, the ADQ will take power. My only fear is that the ADQ is a separation party in hiding...

any thoughts PTG? whats your gutt feeling about these dudes and dudettes.

[MAK]

Damn! I saw this coming. I knew that this would be coming soon to a voting booth near quebec.. but this quickly, it must a record!

Watching the ADQ claim seat after seat in the last round was un-real; If they do call another snap election, the ADQ will take power. My only fear is that the ADQ is a separation party in hiding...

any thoughts PTG? whats your gutt feeling about these dudes and dudettes.

nothing will happen except that liberals will slightly modify their budget.

nobody can afford to go in elections right now.

LOL this is pathetic:

the liberal goverment are airing commercial on how their next budget is so close to the middle class people. I never liked them and never wil. they're so full of it.

[Pierre the Great]

Well its too fold.

The Budget

Is a disgrace.

The province is falling apart and they want to give out giant tax cuts. uhm no, that's not how to do it.

If there was a snap election its almost certain to hurt the Liberals more and might be the opening to bring the PQ back from the dead. Because they're not in referendum mode anymore. They actually want to run the province and make it stronger (so they say) instead of doing things to help there cause of full independence.

First of all if I was in Ottawa I would be livid. Charest is using all of the equalization payments to use as the tax break. This should be illegal. Equalization payments should only go to help out the provinces services that are in dire need and NOT be used in the form of tax cuts.

The idea that I give you a billion dollars meant to help out your services and infrastructure and then instead of you investing it, you act like its your own capital and give it back to the people. Equalization payments are not Quebec produced capital. Equalization payments are meant to help out services like fixing the transportation infrastructure for example or health care.

In fact I'm going to go so far as using equalization payments as tax cuts is criminal.

Edited May 25, 2007 by Pierre the Great

[Jean]

i'll never forgive the ADQ if they vote against those tax cuts. I expect that kind of BS from the PQ, but I expected much better from the ADQ. Count me as a solid liberal if they're stupid enough to defeat the budget.

[Pierre the Great]

i'll never forgive the ADQ if they vote against those tax cuts. I expect that kind of BS from the PQ, but I expected much better from the ADQ. Count me as a solid liberal if they're stupid enough to defeat the budget.

But don't you find it wrong that the tax break is the equalization payouts? Those payouts are for bettering Quebec infrastructure not tax cuts.

[MAK]

i'll never forgive the ADQ if they vote against those tax cuts. I expect that kind of BS from the PQ, but I expected much better from the ADQ. Count me as a solid liberal if they're stupid enough to defeat the budget.

if the Liberals were so confident of their budget, they wouldn't do so much publicity about it in different media.

[Jean]

But don't you find it wrong that the tax break is the equalization payouts? Those payouts are for bettering Quebec infrastructure not tax cuts.

No it's not. When you get cash as a gift you cant be told on exactly what to spend it on. Same applies here, but with billions instead of a few bucks

if the Liberals were so confident of their budget, they wouldn't do so much publicity about it in different media.

So what you're saying is than seeing something being publicised means than whoever is doing it doesnt have confidence in it? Geez, our society sure lack self confidence then

[MAK]

So what you're saying is than seeing something being publicised means than whoever is doing it doesnt have confidence in it? Geez, our society sure lack self confidence then

what I'm saying is that this government is trying anything to get voters back on their side. I guess it's not the fact that they publicize but the quality of the said publicity...it's cheap and pathetic.

they try to bring on an image of the people's government, which they aren't. they need to change alot of key people in there before I consider voting for them.

[Pierre the Great]

No it's not. When you get cash as a gift you cant be told on exactly what to spend it on. Same applies here, but with billions instead of a few bucks

So what you're saying is than seeing something being publicised means than whoever is doing it doesnt have confidence in it? Geez, our society sure lack self confidence then

But we aren't talking about a personal gift that's not what equalization payments are for. They're for services and infrastructure where the province has a hard time keeping up. That's what they are for. To use everyone else's money in Canada for a tax break is uncalled for. If you are going to do a tax break you use YOUR capital that YOUR province makes not someone elses.

This is simple vote buying by the Liberals and I find it funny that Harper would approve of this, wait, wait oh yes power corrupts ideals. ahh if this happened under a federal Liberal government Harpie would be blowing up in protest.

But the fact is, this is not Quebec's money. You only use Quebec's money for provincial tax cuts.

But when you have highways falling apart, public infrastructures in chaos of course tax cuts will fix the problem.

[Jean]

But we aren't talking about a personal gift that's not what equalization payments are for. They're for services and infrastructure where the province has a hard time keeping up. That's what they are for. To use everyone else's money in Canada for a tax break is uncalled for. If you are going to do a tax break you use YOUR capital that YOUR province makes not someone elses.

This is simple vote buying by the Liberals and I find it funny that Harper would approve of this, wait, wait oh yes power corrupts ideals. ahh if this happened under a federal Liberal government Harpie would be blowing up in protest.

But the fact is, this is not Quebec's money. You only use Quebec's money for provincial tax cuts.

But when you have highways falling apart, public infrastructures in chaos of course tax cuts will fix the problem.

My understanding is than provinces can do whathever they want with equalisation money. Most times they use it for spending, but in this case they are using it for tax cuts.

And in case you didnt noticed this budget set aside thirty billions for infrastructure so you cant say than this budget is only a tax cut

[Pierre the Great]

well there needs to legislation to stop using equalization payments as tax cuts.

[JoeLassister]

LOL you're so funny Jean, reduces taxes is the last option to adopt with the federal transfers because QUÉBEC CAN'T AFFORD TO REDUCES TAXES right now!!! Liberal ain't sh it, bunch of individualists who would kill their mothers for a buck of 5$ !!!

[Pierre the Great]

Charest won't blink in budget standoff

Quebec — Premier Jean Charest declared Friday that he will go ahead with his $950-million tax cuts at the risk of forcing a summer election he probably wouldn't win.

All parties are preparing for the unthinkable only two months after the last election.

Mr. Charest said he will not back down on the measure introduced in his budget on Thursday, and warned that if the opposition parties want to defeat his government, the Liberals are prepared to put their tax-cut proposal to voters.

“This may be a first in North America, a first,” Mr. Charest said in a news conference. “I can't wait for the rest of North America to watch this unusual and unique situation where actually [the opposition parties] go to the polls to fight to maintain high taxes.”

In the last election, the Liberals were reduced to a minority government after failing to meet their 2003 election promise to cut taxes by $1-billion a year. Now, Mr. Charest is positioning himself as the only party leader prepared to champion the cause of the heavily taxed middle class.

“I have just been through a whole election campaign where the issue … was that you should sanction the government because they have not met their commitment on tax cuts. And now I have two opposition parties who say, you know what, you should vote against the government because they respected their commitment on tax cuts,” Mr. Charest said.

The budget is a defining moment for the Liberal Premier, who wants to win back the credibility his government lost with voters. He has decided to put his political career on the line, fearing perhaps, that if he doesn't win this battle either by forcing the opposition's hand or in an election, he will have failed as a politician.

Full Story:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tory/Front/home

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Good bye Charest.

[Jean]

Jean Charest is finally respecting his promise

He should applauded for that, not risk loosing the PM job

Since when is respecting your word a reason to defeat the governement? WTF kind of bizarro world does ADQ/PQ politicians lives in?

Those sad individuals are willing to sacrifice our well deserved tax cuts to get a few more seats in the assembly

Count me in as an hardcore liberal supporter from now on...

[Pierre the Great]

but its how many years to late? And its not your hard earned money its the single mother of two living pay cheque to pay cheque working two jobs just trying to survive money.

So when you get that cheque think of them because that's their money and not yours you are getting.

I wouldn't have a problem with the tax cut if its Quebec earned money. But that's not the case here.

[JoeLassister]

Jean Charest is finally respecting his promise

He should applauded for that, not risk loosing the PM job

Since when is respecting your word a reason to defeat the governement? WTF kind of bizarro world does ADQ/PQ politicians lives in?

Those sad individuals are willing to sacrifice our well deserved tax cuts to get a few more seats in the assembly

Count me in as an hardcore liberal supporter from now on...

Since when? since the promises are totally irresponsables knowing health, education, and public services are in a danger zone. these 950 millions should be spent RIGHT THERE, we can't affort to get our taxes reduced. But oh, play it like a real hardcore liberal and go get a new TV with your taxes reduces. Fu ck the others and VIVA MYSELF and my friends businessmen from Orford!!!

[Jean]

Yessss the budget passed and we aint going back to the polls