Quebec needs to make up the economic ground lost during the pandemic before it can balance its books, which will take another six years, Finance Minister Eric Girard said Thursday. Girard tabled his third budget since becoming finance minister, and he forecasts a deficit of $12.3 billion this fiscal year. He also estimates the damage caused by the pandemic will leave a structural deficit of $6.5 billion. He said his plan is to balance the books by the 2027-28 fiscal year. And to succeed, he said, the government will need to amend a law that requires the state to return to a balanced budget five years after posting a deficit. “I think we need to recognize that we’re still in the pandemic,” he told reporters in Quebec City, explaining why his government can’t balance the books within the time frame required by law. “So, the number 1 priority is to …