N.S. premier invites the public to build and submit their own provincial budgets

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is launching a new budget consultation process inviting the public to build and submit their own plans for the province’s finances.

The province is rolling out a new website that will allow the public to build their own versions of the budget and submit them to the government.

The site won’t let people raise taxes and fees, increase the deficit or cut funding from the Health and Wellness Department.

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Nova Scotians can increase or decrease all other department budgets by five per cent, and adjust funding for individual programs.

Provincial officials will hold online and in-person public meetings across the province over the coming weeks.

An independent committee will go through the submissions and submit a report to the finance minister as the government prepares its next fiscal plan.

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“We got too clinical (in the last budget) with spreadsheets and less human with understanding the desires of Nova Scotians. And my commitment was not to let that happen again, so this is a very clear move toward delivering on that commitment,” Houston told reporters Friday.