NDP prediction: The provincial belt to get a notch tighter
Posted March 1, 2010 8:08 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – Expect a very tight provincial budget.
That’s the warning from the opposition’s finance critic as the province prepares to table its economic plans Tuesday.
The NDP’s Bruce Ralston predicts the government will tighten its belt, even more.
“The finance minister projected a reduction in the deficit of a billion bucks, so he has to shave a billion bucks off expenditures. I’m expecting more cuts, particularly to education,” he says.
But he’s holding out for a best case scenario.
“If the long term prospects are as good as the Liberals say they are, then revenue will come back and there doesn’t need to be short term cuts right now.”
He says the province continues to struggle with unemployment and poverty, and has suffered from a big drop in exports.
Ralston thinks the Liberals will stick with their pledge to increase health care funding by four per cent.
He also expects the government will not cut gaming grants, pointing to a huge backlash from arts and community based groups after last September’s budget.
