There are some things to like in the provincial Liberal's new budget, unveiled Tuesday. Getting back to a balanced budget is always positive, and allows the province more freedom in the future.
However, there are things missing that raise questions.
Where is LNG? If you could generate energy by saying "liquified natural gas" over and over and over again, the Liberals could create enough energy to light our houses for a hundred years.
But the only LNG money in the budget is $29 million of spending to encourage investment. We know LNG is a long-term goal, with payoffs years away. But if so, please, can we hear a little less about its wonders? There's more money for health care, but no major reforms.
Education is the real missing piece in the budget. There is some money for post-secondary programs, and cash to build new schools - but nothing about new teachers for grades K-12. Or about the still-ongoing fight between the teachers unions and the province over class sizes.
The province has lost in court twice, and appears to be trying to prove the adage "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again."
It's been pointed out that giving in to the teachers and increasing staff numbers would boost the budget by about one per cent per year. That would put around 3,000 extra teachers in schools.
Much like funding LNG, it seems to us that spending money now on better education might somehow pay off in the long run.
We don't suggest going back into deficit - phasing things in is the way to go. But if we have the freedom of a better financial future, now's the time to invest in the next generation.
