Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist
GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula’s Coalition Avenir Québec Members of the National Assembly are defending the budget cuts requested by the Quebec government in a mission to reduce the province’s deficit of $11 billion.
The topic was debated in their report on the fall parliamentary session in Quebec City.
The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre was asked to reduce its budget by $40 million, while the School Service Centres received a request for an overall reduction of $200 million, in addition to the one concerning capital expenditures earlier this year.
The Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin, notes that the budgetary situation dictates the decision. “We have a difficult budgetary situation. At some point, we have no choice but to do a rigorous exercise and say, no more cost overruns. We ask you to respect your budget,” she mentions in a review interview.
Her colleague from Gaspé echoes the same sentiment. “There is no cut necessarily, but a request for respect and rigour. We hope that we will get there and good collaboration between stakeholders is necessary to get there,” adds Stéphane Sainte-Croix.
The Bonaventure MNA mentions that the project to rebuild the emergency room and intensive care department at Maria Hospital is a path full of obstacles, but the file remains her priority for next year.
She notes, in the last session, the $50 million invested on Highway 132, the $25 million on the Petit Pabos River bridge in Chandler, the $30 million on the English school in New Carlisle, and investments at the Bioparc. The MNA wanted to highlight the four medals awarded to four students from the Antoine-Bernard school in Carleton-sur-Mer after winning a culinary competition in Paris in July.
“Young people in our riding are even more interested in cooking and food autonomy, in developing skills. I wanted to recognize that,” says Ms. Blouin.
The Gaspé MNA wanted to highlight the work done by Jean Lapointe, who has been fighting for a decade for the establishment of hemodialysis services in the Gaspé Peninsula, who gave him a petition with 10,000 names this fall to demand a nephrologist in the Gaspé Peninsula.
“The Commission (of Health and Social Services) will take up this at the beginning of the winter 2025 session. We will pay particular attention to the rest of the work. I am very happy to have carried out this project,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix.
Among other issues, the tightening of admissions of foreign students should not have an impact on the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles. According to Mr. Saint-Croix, the measure mainly targets urban institutions.
In fisheries, the sector is not in its first crisis, but the recent aid to equip fishermen for the redfish fishery is a positive step forward.
In wind power, with the recent challenges at LM Wind Power in Gaspé, the MNA is aware of the situation.
Compliance with international trade agreements will dictate the path forward, but he remains convinced that the industry can benefit from it.