Quebec, the 9 November 2026 – The leader of the Official Opposition, Mr. Charles Milliard, announces that his party will introduce, as soon as the legislative session returns, his first bill to establish, as promised during the election campaign, a Parliamentary Budget Director (PBD). In doing so, he is reaching out to all the parties represented in the National Assembly in order to adopt it as soon as possible.
The Parliamentary Budget Director will assist members of the National Assembly in conducting an independent and objective analysis of the government's budget projections, the actual cost of the announced measures, and economic trends. The PBD's work will complement that of the Auditor General's, which publishes a retrospective analysis, while the PBD can inform on the outlook and the sustainability of public finances.
The Quebec Liberal Party does not wish to see a repeat of the mismanagement that characterized the CAQ's two terms in office. To prevent a Premier from referring to "surprises" in public finances barely 19 days after the formation of a government, it is important to improve the transparency of the government's financial data and the oversight mechanisms.
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Nicolas Marceau, is currently unable to confirm if it is realistic to achieve a balanced budget by 2028–2029, as promised within its financial framework. Yet he was able to count on the Pre-election Report of the Auditor General to announce his commitment just a few weeks ago. It should be noted that Mr. Marceau himself had demanded a PBD in 2015, particularly to assess the credibility of campaign promises.
« Clearly, the Parti Québécois was not ready to govern. Just a few weeks after presenting its financial framework, the government is now unable to guarantee that it will respect its commiments. It didn't take long for the first promise to be broken. To prevent a repeat of the abuses that characterized the CAQ administration, we propose the creation of a Parliamentary Budget Director. »
– Charles Milliard, Leader of the Official Opposition
« The Parti Québécois is deviating from the Auditor General’s pre-election analysis and is referring to “surprises” in public finances. This is not serious, and it is very concerning for the remainder of this term. That is why it is essential that the PQ honor its own commitment and implement a PBD. »
– Frédéric Beauchemin, Official Opposition Critic for Finance and Revenue
