Quebec finance minister says federal budget falls short of Quebec's expectations

Quebec Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau panned the federal budget Thursday, saying it does not meet Quebec's expectations and is the price of staying in Canada while another country manages half its taxes. The newly elected Parti Québécois government said Champagne's plan lacks measures for Quebec priorities. Marceau wants any share of Ottawa's $11.2 billion over four years for homelessness paid quickly, without strings and within provincial jurisdiction. Quebec had sought a health-transfer floor of at least five per cent a year, compensation tied to the productivity mega deduction, and repayment of $690 million spent in 2024 on asylum-seeker support services.