Campbell also lied about the provincial deficit.

In the late 1990s, Desgagnés criticized the government of Lucien Bouchard for cutting social programs in order to balance the provincial deficit.

Upon election, the Harris government immediately began to implement a far-reaching reform agenda in order to cut the large provincial deficit accumulated under the previous Rae government.

The tax on the estate of the Senator was enough to offset the provincial deficit and balance the budget.

Cameron's government had been under heavy pressure to control provincial deficits and debt servicing resulting from his predecessor administrations, thus the controversial decision to sell the Crown corporation.

The provincial deficit peaked at $1.2 billion in 1986-87, and the accumulated debt rose from $3.5 billion to $15 billion.

The Harris government justified these measures as necessary to eliminate the provincial deficit.

Rodriguez said that he admired Langdon's stand, and added that he did not support Rae's decision to cut jobs and spending to fight the provincial deficit.

Sitting as backbenchers, they supported the government of Ralph Klein in its spending cuts to reduce the provincial deficit, and advocated still larger and swifter cuts.

Over the next two years, he played a central role in the Bouchard government's ultimately successful effort to eliminate the provincial deficit.