The provincial budget did not do enough to address debt concerns in New Brunswick.
That from Kevin Lacey, Atlantic Canada Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Lacey says the provincial budget includes big increases in spending on health and education, but says efficiencies need to be found in government rather than increase taxes.
Budget day in NB! We’ll find out how much more taxes working families will be paying. #nbpoli
— Kevin Lacey (@kevinlaceyCTF) February 7, 2017
He says the provincial government raised the HST by 2-percent last year and punished working families because they said they wanted to lower the debt.
Lacey says despite the HST increase, that money was spent on more public services instead of lowering the debt.
As the interest payments on debt increases, Lacey says the province’s ability to provide things like health care and education in the future are brought into question.
The government will be increasing what it spends on healthcare by 3.3 per cent, post-secondary education by 5.4 per cent 4.9 per cent more for education and a whopping 17.3 per cent more on tourism.
