Published in the Pontiac Journal on December 17, 2025.
Tashi Farmilo
Local Journalism Initiative
QUEBEC – The Quebec government’s fall 2025 economic update, tabled November 7, projects a $12.4 billion deficit and slower growth heading into 2026. For Pontiac MNA André Fortin, the numbers only reinforce what he describes as a pattern of poor fiscal choices and deepening neglect of rural Quebec.
“This government inherited a $7 billion surplus and turned it into a deficit,” Fortin said, pointing to what he described as a steady erosion of Quebec’s public finances. He cited the
$11 billion shortfall reported last year as evidence of that trend.
He blamed the government’s growing administrative footprint, particularly in the health sector, where he said money is funnelled into bureaucracy rather than frontline care. “They’re hiring bureaucrats, not nurses or doctors,” he said, noting emergency rooms in rural areas like Shawville are still facing overnight closures due to staff shortages.
On infrastructure, Fortin said the update’s commitment to accelerate major economic projects once again bypasses his region. He pointed to persistent gaps in investment along Highway 148 and Route 303 and said the government’s rhetoric isn’t matched by action. “There’s no funding, no plan, and nothing new for Pontiac,” he said, referring specifically to the lack of new commitments for regional infrastructure, health care access, or economic development projects.
He was equally critical of the government’s forestry measures, describing the new $250 credit for small operators as out of touch with the realities on the ground. Rising fuel and equipment costs, he said, have left producers struggling.
“This isn’t support—it’s window dressing,” he said, noting the loss of key transport subsidies that previously helped local operators move goods across long rural distances. Still, not everything in the update drew fire. Fortin welcomed the return of renovation and accessibility programs like RénoRégion and the Residential Adaptation Assistance Program, both of which had previously been underfunded. “Rural regions need them,” he said. But he cautioned that uptake remains a barrier for residents who may not be aware of the programs or who don’t have sufficient support to navigate them.
He acknowledged that temporary tax relief for the agriculture and forestry sectors, along with a reversal on proposed capital gains changes, could offer modest help to some businesses. However, he argued the adjustments fall short of a real plan for rural recovery.
“The government talks about economic resilience. In the Pontiac, that would mean funding our roads, backing our small businesses, and making sure people have access to care. None of that’s in here,” concluded Fortin.
