The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Premier Tim Houston to keep the province’s budget balanced following news that Nova Scotia ran an unexpected surplus in 2022-23.

“The Houston government’s surplus announcement is good news for taxpayers, but it’s only a beginning,” said CTF Interim Atlantic Director Jay Goldberg. “With tax revenue up by $2 billion over projections, Houston should have been able to balance this budget with a blindfold on. This increased revenue leaves the Houston government with no excuse for running a deficit this year.”

The 2022-23 budget was balanced due to an increase in tax revenue of $2 billion. Government spending also increased by $1.3 billion over budget. The overall surplus was $115 million last year.

“Taxpayers balanced this budget, not Houston,” said Goldberg. “The government should use this as an opportunity to right the fiscal ship. The tax windfall should be used to ensure the province doesn’t run a deficit in the coming years and provide desperately needed tax relief for Nova Scotians.”

In the government’s 2023-24 budget, Houston announced plans to run deficits for at least the next three years, reaching as high as $610 million in 2025-26. The government hasn’t yet laid out any plans to balance the budget.