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QUEBEC – Finance Minister Carlos Leitao did his best Thursday to present his budget, Quebec’s first without a deficit in seven years, as a burst of sunshine.

“With this budget, the government is sending all Quebecers a message of confidence: together we are building our economy,” he told the National Assembly. The days of paying for services on credit are over, he said, and the dream of a more prosperous Quebec “is becoming reality.”

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He announced plans to cut taxes for individuals and companies, although they will not begin until 2017 and will not be fully felt until 2019. New money was budgeted to develop ports and associated industry, build highways, train workers, install sprinklers in seniors residences and combat religious radicalization.

It was left to his cabinet colleague, Treasury Board president Martin Coiteux, to point out that the silver lining of Mr. Leitao’s budget encircled a dark storm cloud.