Balanced Approach for Stronger Nova Scotia

Balancing the budget next year is key to providing greater security and stability for Nova Scotians, Premier John Hamm said today.

"The budget will be balanced," said the premier. "This is the most important thing we can do for our children, the most important thing we can do to ensure that the state of our province reflects the strength of its people."

In his third annual State of the Province Address to the Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Premier Hamm noted the government's success in reducing the deficit from about half a billion dollars to $32 million over the last two years. The economic slowdown will make the commitment of balancing the budget next year more challenging.

"The slowing economy -- both here and abroad -- means less revenue growth this year, even less next year," said the premier. "It makes the choices we have to make as a government much more difficult. But we will make them, knowing that the first responsibility of any government, any premier, is to leave those who follow with more choices."

Premier Hamm cited a number of specific examples of government protecting the interests of Nova Scotia taxpayers:

• selling the debt-ridden Nova Scotia Resources Limited;
• eliminating numerous agencies, boards and commissions;
• closing Sysco and starting clean-up of the site;
• ending the costly P3 method of school construction; and
• passing legislation to gain greater control over spending by third parties, like school boards.

"We're making choices for Nova Scotia's long-term good," added the premier. "And like any good business, we're cutting our losses."

The premier also highlighted a number of strategic investments for the province:

• investing more health-care dollars to promote wellness and disease prevention;
• launching a new management information system that will ensure that health-care decisions are made for health-care reasons;
• removing barriers to employment to allow families to benefit from economic independence;
• dedicating greater resources in our schools to literacy;
• creating hundreds of new seats for students at the Nova Scotia Community College;
• adding $15 million to promote research and development at Nova Scotia universities; and
• bringing several federal and provincial departments together to form the Nova Scotia Business Registry, saving business time and money through one-stop shopping for many government services and permits.

"We're making investments today that will help us save tomorrow," concluded Premier Hamm. "And this government is making the kind of choices that will leave our province stronger -- the kind of choices that will ensure our children and their children have their own choices to make."