HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia's Liberal leader pitched himself as a deficit slayer before a business audience on Wednesday, contrasting his budget balance goals with his Progressive Conservative opponent's spending plans.
The differing spending strategies were on display as the two party leaders, along with the head of the province's NDP, responded to questions posed by members of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and debated each other.
"We need to make sure that we are living within our means," Liberal Leader Iain Rankin told the crowd. "The spending that is proposed by both opposition parties is in the billions -- adding structural deficits that we cannot incur right now."
Tory Leader Tim Houston has presented a costed platform that projects $553 million in new spending in Year 1 of his mandate if elected, with about 80 per cent of that on health care.
NDP Leader Gary Burrill and Houston spoke of the need to incur deficits to address needs in health care, housing and long-term care.
In contrast, Rankin spoke of targeted spending to ensure the province can get back to balanced budgets over the next four years. The Liberal leader insisted that a more measured approach to spending would help preserve core government services and prevent future tax increases.
"This government has clearly shown that we will keep taxes low," he said. "When we got back to (budget) balance four times we reduced taxes for small businesses, we reduced taxes for income tax."
But Houston said big spending is needed to address challenges, particularly in the health-care sector, in which he proposes to invest an additional $430 million. "We need to be up front and honest," he said. "Big spending is required to fix health care after eight years of neglect."
The Tory leader said that even with his new proposed spending, his plan would return the province's ledger to balance within six years.
Houston highlighted his party's $140-million program that would allow companies to pay lower taxes if they put the money toward workers' salaries.
"That's very specific government policy that will put more money into the hands of those working families that are struggling to pay for groceries, struggling for housing," he said.
Meanwhile, Burrill said the NDP -- which held only five seats at the legislature's dissolution -- said deficit spending is required during a time when the economy is trying to recover from one of its biggest contractions in recent history.
Burrill also said a $70-million tax break given to the province's larger corporations that took effect just prior to the pandemic effectively prevented the government from helping small businesses in a meaningful way during the lockdowns.
He warned that if the Liberals win the Aug. 17 election, they will likely cut hundreds of millions of dollars in government spending in order to achieve balanced budgets. The Liberals, Burrill added, balanced budgets during their prior mandate by cutting a film tax credit and rural economic development programs.
The NDP leader also pointed out that most jurisdictions in Canada are not planning to return to balanced budgets for the next six to eight years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2021.
Nova Scotia election: party leaders talk economy with Halifax Chamber of Commerce - CTV News Atlantic
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