The Charest Liberals invoked closure Friday night to cut short debate and force a vote on Bill 40, legislation which allows the government an exemption from having a balanced budget.
That means Quebec will not have to balance the books until the 2014 fiscal year, at which point it's expected the province will be running an $11 billion deficit.
The bill also transfers $5.8 billion in a so-called "hidden deficit" into the province's long-term debts.
The bill passed 61 to 48.
Long-term implications
The Parti Quebecois and the ADQ were questioning the Liberal decision to run a deficit, and said they wanted to know how the government was planning to balance the books again in four years.
Former Finance Minister Monique Jerome-Forget had indicated the provincial sales tax would be increased by one percentage point, but current Finance Minister Raymond Bachand has said this will not happen until the economy is solid.
