Lukewarm reaction to NS Budget from stakeholders

HALIFAX — Reaction to the NDP government’s 2013 budget document was swift with stakeholders weighing in on the pros and cons.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business spokesperson Amelia Demarco says there is still more to do to optimize the province’s economic output, but she’s pleased the government balanced their books.

“For us the bigger concern is that now that we’re back to balance, let’s make sure that that’s the pattern that continues going forward and that we don’t get to see the really big increases in spending that we’ve seen in years past,” she says.

Taxpayers are bearing the brunt of the costs of balancing the province’s budget, says the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation spokesperson Kevin Lacey.

“When you consider that since 2009, taxpayers will spend in income tax and HST over a billion dollars more in total taxes,” he says. “Enough is enough. At what point is it where they just pay too much tax to this government? I think we’re at that point now.”

With student criticism mounting in recent years over the Dexter government’s approach to the cost of post-secondary education, some say what’s contained in this year’s fiscal outline is a good step forward, while others say it is not much more than smoke and mirrors.

“We got 4.6 million dollars in new investments in student assistance,” says Jonathan Williams of Students Nova Scotia. “That is two of the three requests that SNS made in advance of the budget, it will help reduce students’ debt as they approach graduation.”

“I’m pretty underwhelmed right now,” says Nick Stark of the Canadian Federation of Students. “We’re seeing a little bit that’s good for students, an increase to grants, but apart from that, it’s the same kind of cutting approach that the Dexter government has been taking for the past three years. Increases in tuition fees, an ineffective tax incentive aimed at keeping students in the province that is not actually working.”

Stark is referring to the much lauded Nova Scotia Graduate Retention Rebate that, in this budget, received a six million dollar boost.