Nova Scotia’s reworked $10.5-billion budget has small spending bump for health
Posted Sep 26, 2017 01:22:42 PM.
Last Updated Sep 27, 2017 06:46:21 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil is defending $6.2-million in extra help for health care included in the re-introduction of a budget that was shelved for the May 30th election campaign.
The additional money amounts to a tiny fraction of the $4.2-billion departmental budget, something the opposition parties say doesn’t go far enough to address doctor shortages or lengthy wait times for care.
But McNeil says it’s part of an overall package of $82-million in new health spending that will help address issues highlighted by voters on the campaign trail.
He says voters also told him they wanted the province to live within its means and that’s why the government didn’t dip further into its $21.3-million surplus.
Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie says it’s clear the government is only giving lip service to improving health, noting there’s no increase for primary care.
N-D-P Leader Gary Burrill says the approach to health amounts to bringing a “garden hose to a house fire.”
The Liberals re-introduced its $10.5-billion budget for 2017-18 Tuesday.
Overall, the government is spending $19-million than the April 27 document that was shelved after the May 30 election was called.
That includes extra spending in pre-primary education and a waterfront development cleanup.
Highlights of the Nova Scotia budget re-introduced Tuesday:
– Surplus of $21.3 million is projected on a spending program of about $10.5 billion, $4.6 million lower than the surplus in the budget shelved on April 27, prior to the election campaign.
– The Liberals are spending an additional $6.2 million on funding for health, after an election campaign that focused on problems in the health care system.
– A development on the Halifax waterfront is receiving an additional $4.7 million in capital grants for an environmental clean-up of the site.
– Revenue is down overall $13.1 million compared to earlier budget, while departmental spending is up $19.1 million.
– An extra $1 million was alloted to Cape Breton University.
– Confirms spending of an additional $2.5 to support science and innovation in the fish and seafood sector, as part of a $38 million program over seven years.
