Premier François Legault confirms that Quebec families will receive a check to offset a possible 4% to 5% increase in hydroelectricity rates in 2023.
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“We are going to give a check to Quebecers to make up the difference,” confirmed the Prime Minister during the question period in the National Assembly on Thursday, arguing that a freeze on tariffs as desired by the opposition parties would be a gesture “paternalistic”.
“Quebecers will choose. Quebecers are adults, most of them vaccinated, and are able to choose what they want to do with the money.
Other check
Already, his government has promised another check to compensate for the general increase in the cost of living in the short term. The amount and the provisions will be revealed in the next budget, on March 22.
Inflation is on the rise due to the conflict in Ukraine, as food and fuel prices reach new highs.
Due to the new law on Hydro Quebec rates, passed under gag order in 2019 by the government and its Minister of Natural Resources Jonatan Julien, hydroelectricity prices are now fixed on the growth of inflation.
The Minister assures that this method allows more “predictability”.
“The bill that was adopted was precisely intended to avoid the yoyo games that we have seen in the past on hydroelectric tariffs,” repeated Minister Julien on Thursday morning.
Because of this law, Hydro Québec no longer has to justify the increase in its rates to the Régie each year. This exercise is now done every five years.
However, the current inflation crisis seems to have played a bad trick on him, so much so that the Prime Minister decided to intervene and offer compensation to the citizens.
“Quebecers who pay”
For their part, the opposition parties want Quebec to return to a review of annual hydroelectricity rates.
“Everyone was against it. Consumer associations, businesses, industrialists, experts, analysts, everyone was against it, except the Prime Minister. It went ahead, then finally, today, it is Quebecers who pay,” said the leader of the Liberal Party, Dominique Anglade.
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Reference-www.journaldequebec.com