Higgs Government To Deliver Second Budget

The Blaine Higgs government will unveil its second — and possibly final — budget on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Ernie Steeves will deliver the budget in the legislature at around 1 p.m.

Steeves said the provincial government is trying to fund the needs versus the wants.

“There is some improved spending in health and social development and education, those are absolutely needed in New Brunswick,” said Steeves.

“But if everybody is expecting a new Winnebago in their front yard, we’re not buying them that.”

The provincial government held pre-budget consultations over the past few weeks to help guide the budget.

“We had over 1,000, maybe 1,300 submissions on the website that we went through, it went really well,” said Steeves.

The finance minister said he is excited to deliver what he describes as a “really good budget.”

“On budget day, it’s my day. I get to explain here’s what we’re doing, here’s why we did it, we spent this money here, we didn’t spend it here, because that program wasn’t working we’ve developed this program,” he said.

After the budget is delivered, MLAs will spend the next few days debating the details before a vote on March 20.

Liberal leader Kevin Vickers has said his party will vote against the budget over previously-announced health-care reforms, which were later paused by the government.

If the budget does not pass, the legislature will be dissolved and a provincial election will be called.

We will have details on the budget on-air and online throughout the afternoon.