Budget Makes Life Better for Pictou County Families

NOTE: A social media version of this release with a video clip is available at http://gov.ns.ca/news/smr/2011-04-05-Budget-2011/ . Photos and audio clips will be added soon.

Expanding Aberdeen Hospital and improving schools and highways are some of the highlights for Pictou County in the provincial budget today, April 5th.

"This budget invests in health care, growing the economy, helping people make ends meet, all while ensuring government lives within its means," said Graham Steele, Minister of Finance. "We still have a difficult financial situation to address, but this budget shows that we are on target to balance in 2013, as promised."

Highlights for Pictou County in today's budget include:

• a $2.6-million expansion of Aberdeen Hospital to build a modern, cost-effective and efficient emergency department to bring better care to the area
• a hip and knee surgery program that cuts consultation wait times for patients, supports a successful surgery and helps ensure a quicker recovery
• new nursing home beds for Pictou and Trenton
• funds to begin construction of the $31-million Northeast Nova Correctional Centre in Coalburn, creating ongoing construction jobs and 70 new jobs once it is complete
• renovations for the Pictou Justice Centre
• helping Pictou County's entrepreneurs by reducing the small business tax to four per cent from 4.5 per cent, the second consecutive year it has declined
• continued and stable support for local museums, such as Museum of Industry
• twinning and repaving portions of Highway 104 and other road upgrade and paving projects
• work on a new Primary to Grade 8 school in New Glasgow and upgrades at improvements at West Pictou District High School.

Total revenues for 2011-12, including net income from government business enterprises, are estimated at $8.5 billion, a decrease of $133 million over the 2010-11 estimates.

The 2011 budget projects a deficit of $389.6 million. This is in line with the $370-million deficit anticipated in the province's four-year fiscal plan.

Total expenses for fiscal 2011-12 are budgeted at $9.3 billion, up $323.0 million from 2010-11, entirely because of reinstating university funding.

Today's budget also includes:

• investing $42.5 million to help make post-secondary education more affordable
• opening at least four new Collaborative Emergency Centres this year
• providing tax breaks, such as an increase in the basic personal amount by $250
• reducing departmental spending by $170 million
• investing $28 million to improve business productivity
• providing $7.9 million to low-income families to help make ends meet.

For more information on the 2011-12 provincial budget, visit www.gov.ns.ca