They say three times of anything is a trend. Here are a few choice cuts from the recent past, for your edification.
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ON QUEBEC’S BUDGET…
“At a news conference, [Pauline] Marois dismissed [Jean] Charest’s assertions of fiscal responsibility and charged that his government was hiding a large budget deficit.”
–New York Times, 05.11.2008
“Because of our reserve I am announcing that Quebec’s public finances will remain balanced this year and next.”
-Monique Jerome-Forget, 04.11.2008
QUEBEC PLANS DEFICIT IN SPRING BUDGET
-cbc.ca headline, 11.02.2009
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ON THE CAISSE DE DEPOT MISERY
“Mr. Charest should be very transparent about what is happening at the Caisse.”
-Pauline Marois, 21.11.2008
“For us to act [in such a fashion] would be political interference in the business of the Caisse. It would be the worst thing.”
-Jean Charest reacting to Marois’ suggestion, 21.11.2008
CLEANUP AT THE CAISSE DE DEPOT?
-February 9, 2009 Radio-Canada headline on a story describing how the Charest government was set to sack two-thirds of the Caisse’s mandarins
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EQUALIZATION PAYMENTS
“The facts have been hidden from us. We have been manipulated to make us believe things are going well.”
-Pauline Marois on how the new equalization payment system will mean $1 billion less for Quebec, 29.11.2008
“When all is said and done, Quebec is expected to receive another $1.5 billion in equalization, or $7 billion a year, up from $5.5 billion, an increase of about 30 per cent.”
-Federal-provincial agreement, as quoted by columnist L. Ian MacDonald, 19.01.2007
CHAREST SAYS HARPER BROKE HIS WORD ON FEDERAL TRANSFER PAYMENTS
-16.01.2009 headline in which Charest says Harper made him a liar
