New Budget Website Centrepiece of Finance Minister's Pre-Budget Consultation

NOTE: A social-media version of this release with hi-res, downloadable photos, audio and video clips is available at http://gov.ns.ca/news/smr/2011-11-21-Back-to-Balance/ .

How would you balance Nova Scotia's budget? That's the question Finance Minister Graham Steele is asking Nova Scotians through a new interactive website, the first of its kind in Canada.

The website, www.backtobalance.ca, will be the centrepiece of the third annual Back to Balance pre-budget consultation, which runs until the end of February.

"Nova Scotians deserve to know how the government handles their money, and I want to make the province's budget more accessible and understandable to people," said Mr. Steele. "This website brings the provincial budget into people's homes, classrooms, and workplaces in a way that they have never seen before. It's challenging, fun and informative."

Backtobalance.ca allows visitors to create their own provincial budget. They can adjust revenues and expenditures, and see the real-time impact of their choices on the bottom line.

The government is halfway through its four-year plan to get back to balance, and the minister wants Nova Scotians, on their own or as part of a group, to use the budget website to provide a "crowdsource" solution for the rest of the path back to balance.

For the third year in a row, the minister will also visit many communities across the province for pre-budget meetings.

Also, anyone hosting a group of 20 or more people in January or February may invite the Minister of Finance to discuss their online budget submission. Details can be found on the website under Visitor Information.

The minister will see all written budget submissions sent to [email protected] or to his Department of Finance office.

Nova Scotians are also encouraged to join the Nova Scotia Online Forum, announced Nov. 8, to provide input on a wide range of government policies and priorities, as they are being developed. They can visit www.forumns.ca .

The government will consider all ideas and feedback for the 2012 and 2013 budgets, the final two budgets of its Back to Balance plan.