Nova Scotia’s finance minister chose to keep the details of the upcoming provincial budget under wraps in the annual preview speech today before the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
Aside from revealing the April 19 date, Randy Delorey deviated from the pattern set by his predecessors and gave no indication of specific new measures that may be revealed when the budget is tabled in the legislature.
Last year, then-finance minister Diana Whalen warned of pending changes to the province’s film tax credit, a move that eventually sparked widespread protest by the industry.
Following the speech, Delorey told reporters that there would be nothing in the budget that would be a major surprise to Nova Scotians or that would spark protests.
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Delorey also wouldn’t say whether the government would move to balance the books, which it has pledged to do by the end of its mandate.
However, he says it will stick with its program aimed at controlling costs as it grapples with the $241.2 million deficit forecasted for fiscal 2015-16.