Green Party Leader David Coon says that Finance Minister Blaine Higgs refusal to rescind the 2009 income tax cuts made by the Graham government, is a choice to cut public services and public jobs instead. The Green Party says that the 2009 income tax cuts created New Brunswick's structural deficit, and that restoring them would eliminate it.

 "It is unbelievable that the Minister of Finance would pass up the chance to slay the deficit simply to keep New Brunswick's income tax rates lower than anywhere else in Eastern Canada," said David Coon, Green Party leader. New Brunswickers are going to pay in lost services and a perpetual deficit," said Coon.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs had said during his pre-budget consultations that rescinding the 2009 income tax cuts would raise an additional $320 million in revenue. Instead, Higgs stopped short of rescinding the tax cuts by $50 million. leaving New Brunswick with a structural deficit.

 

"Incredibly, given the seriousness of climate change, this government is betting all of its chips on raising new revenues from shale gas and a west-east tar sands pipeline to the Port of Saint John . This budget is just another brick in the wall the Tories are building between New Brunswickers and a sustainable future," said Coon.