Letters to Provinces and Territories: Quebec 2023

Mr. Eric Girard
Minister of Finance
Government of Quebec
390, boulevard Charest Est
Québec (Québec)   G1K 3H4

Dear Minister,

I am pleased to provide you with Quebec's transfer payment amounts for 2024-25 in accordance with the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act (the Act) and relevant regulations.

Total major transfers to Quebec for 2024-25 will round to $28.5 billion.

The first estimates of your province's Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer payments for 2024-25 are $11.5 billion and $3.7 billion respectively. In accordance with the legislated formula under the Act and its regulations, your province qualifies for an Equalization payment of $13.3 billion for 2024-25.

In 2024-25, the federal government will provide a total of $52.1 billion to provinces and territories under the Canada Health Transfer—an increase of 5.4% from 2023-24.

With respect to health transfers, I encourage you to work with your Health Minister to make progress towards negotiating our first bilateral agreement for health care funding. 

Once finalized, these bilateral agreements will provide Quebec with $4.8 billion over 10 years to address its unique health system needs, such as expanding access to services, supporting health care workers, reducing backlogs, increasing mental health and substance use support, improving licensing and credential recognition, and modernizing health systems.

To receive funding for 2023-24, Quebec must sign a bilateral agreement by March 31, 2024. I encourage you to work with your Health Minister to finalize an agreement before this date.

Enclosed for your information is a table presenting the 2024-25 major transfer amounts for each province and territory. The table will be provided to your officials and posted on the Department of Finance's website.

I look forward to our continued work together.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P.