Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitao looking forward to federal budget

MONTREAL – Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitao says he’s looking forward to seeing the details of the federal budget that touch on infrastructure and health transfers.

Leitao said he hopes Ottawa’s promise to increase infrastructure spending will be kept so provinces will be able to manage the funds as they see fit.

“We’re expecting, if I’ve understood things properly, three new national programs of $20 billion each,” he told reporters Monday after a speech to the Montreal Board of Trade about Quebec’s 2016-17 budget, which he tabled last week.

The Quebec government is banking on the federal spending to help stimulate the province’s economy.

One of Quebec’s wishes is to use part of the money to extend the Montreal subway’s blue line.

Leitao also called for “more clarity” on the new way of calculating federal health transfers.

He wants it to be based not only on the number of inhabitants in a particular province, as is currently the case, but also on their age.

“In Canada, there seems to be a broad consensus to go in this direction,” he said.