Canada PM Trudeau promises billions to Quebec province as election looms
OTTAWA, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who aides say is on the verge of calling a snap election, on Thursday promised to give almost C$6 billion ($4.80 billion) in social spending to the politically important province of Quebec.
The ruling Liberals are targeting more seats in Quebec as they seek to regain their parliamentary majority. The predominantly French-speaking province accounts for 78 seats in the 338-seat House of Commons, second only to Ontario.
Ottawa will give Quebec just under C$6 billion over five years to help it expand an existing subsidized child care program, Trudeau told a televised news conference in Montreal.
Trudeau side-stepped several questions about an imminent vote, saying his government was focused on ensuring as many Canadians as possible were inoculated against COVID-19.
Quebec is the only one of the 10 provinces with such a program. The Liberal government promised in its April budget to invest a total of C$30 billion over five years to help other provinces set up similar networks and let female employment recover from harm done by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our message is clear. We will not allow the pandemic to roll back all the progress that women have made in recent years," said Trudeau.
The Liberals hold 35 Quebec seats, just ahead of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which has 32. Trudeau aides say he is planning an election in September.
($1 = 1.2487 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Diane Craft)
