Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard has tabled a balanced budget with substantial spending increases that he says will allow the province to weather economic uncertainty resulting from the novel coronavirus. The budget presented to the legislature today forecasts economic growth of 2.0 per cent for Quebec in 2020, down from 2.8 per cent last year. Program spending is set to rise by 5.1 per cent, with most of the increase going to health and education. It is the province's sixth straight balanced budget, and Girard says the province's sound public finances leave it in good shape as the global spread of COVID-19 raises fears about an economic slowdown.