MONTREAL - Quebec's Charest government will present its provincial budget on March 30.
The province is saddled with a $4.7-billion deficit this year, and is only projecting a return to surplus in 2013.
On a positive note, the deficit is proportionally far smaller than the $6-billion shortfall erased in the late 1990s.
However, a number of economists have warned that the province's debt will be increasingly unsustainable as baby boomers retire.
Among those warning that Quebec must make drastic economic changes is Lucien Bouchard, the popular former premier.
He says Quebecers must pay more for their social services - which include cheap hydro, $7-a-day daycare, and the lowest university tuition in the country.
Premier Jean Charest's government is, in fact, signalling that intends to hike a wide range of user fees.
Finance Minister Raymond Bachard is preparing taxpayers for what he calls a cultural revolution - meaning people should pay more for what they use.