HALIFAX – Stephen McNeil will officially be sworn in as the 28th Premier of Nova Scotia on Tuesday, but before that, he’s expected to reveal his new cabinet in Annapolis Royal, N.S.
Political scientist Michelle Coffin says she expects to see some familiar names.
Coffin says she believes one of the Liberal government’s first priorities will be to take a close look at the province’s finances. McNeil’s government, she says, is already at an advantage for not promising too much before looking at the books.
“I think in terms of the promises that he made during the campaign, he really allowed himself to not face some of the criticisms that the Darrell Dexter government was faced with, in terms of balancing the budget and lowering taxes,” she said.
Lars Osberg, an economics professor with Dalhousie University, agrees.
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“For once, a government is starting from a position that you get what you pay for, or more exactly, you can’t get it if you don’t pay for it,” he said.
According to Osberg, the Liberal government’s “lucky” timing when taking office is another advantage.
“It’s a whole lot better to come to power in a lukewarm recovery than in the down phase of a bad recession,” he said.
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He says the Liberal government is in for some new challenges, especially when it comes to its relationship with Ottawa.
“The federal government is really intent on balancing its own budget and that’s going to necessarily mean cutbacks to the provinces,” said Osberg.
Jeff MacLeod, the political and Canadian studies chair at Mount Saint Vincent University, says another new challenge will be to govern during a time of uneasiness.
MacLeod says it’s clear from the province’s election results that Nova Scotians are looking for change.
“Nova Scotians may be yearning for something a little bit different in terms of vision and what the province will look at in a few years,” he said.
MacLeod says figuring out what that change will look like could be the new government’s biggest challenge.
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