With the final vote on the Higgs’ government’s budget scheduled for today, Liberals say that too much information remains unknown to make an educated vote.

Since the budget was introduced on March 19, a series of significant cuts have been discovered, many kept secret in the budget document and before the main budget vote on March 29. The final stage in the budget process is the vote on an appropriations bill, which will occur this afternoon, Tuesday, June 4. Cuts revealed to date include:

• Free Tuition program
• Tuition relief for the middle class
• Timely completion benefit 2020
• Funding to the SEED program
• 50% of the women’s council budget
• The contraband unit
• The New Boots program
• Grants for women studying in STEM
• Visitor information centres
• Explore NB Travel guide
• Antique Automobile Museum
• Privatization of Murray Beach
• Delay of the Fundy Trail Parkway completion
• Cape Jourimain nature center
• Route 11
• The Municipal designated highway program
• Delay of the Petitcodiac river bridge
• Informal caregiver benefit
• The Caraquet hospital lab will no longer be open overnight
• Bed closures at the Perth Hospital

“Despite facing the first minority legislature in a century, this government is secretive and thumbs its nose at every call for transparency,” said Melanson. “We need the government to share the facts with New Brunswickers and to extend its vision beyond the balance sheet.”

The Liberals are particularly troubled by how many cuts impact the most vulnerable in society. The 2017-18 fiscal year showed a surplus, as did the 2018-19 budget that was shared between Liberal and PC governments. The current budget, in spite of these egregious cuts, is showing only an $23 million surplus in spite of increased transfers of $143 million from the federal government.