HALIFAX - Nova Scotia鈥檚 finance minister has dismissed the need for more oversight of extra government spending, saying any such debate in the legislature would occur after the money had been spent anyway.
Allan MacMaster on Thursday responded to a report this week from auditor general Kim Adair, who accused the government of lacking accountability and transparency. Adair said Nova Scotia's budgeting process is unique in Canada and has allowed governments to approve $4.7 billion in extra spending over the last 10 years without being subjected to review or approval by the legislature.
But MacMaster said the government is open and accountable because it is required to deliver two fiscal updates a year.
鈥淚 feel that things are very transparent now,鈥 he told reporters following a cabinet meeting. MacMaster added that bringing the spending before the legislature would happen 鈥渁fter the fact,鈥 because the reporting is usually done as the fiscal year ends.
Nova Scotia governments typically table a new budget in the spring of each year and follow it up with forecasts in late summer and in December.
鈥淲ith the budget forecasts, we鈥檙e doing them in a more timely way,鈥 said MacMaster. 鈥淵es, it鈥檚 not going through the legislature, but it is going through the public with media 鈥 there鈥檚 also technical briefings and the opposition are certainly welcomed.鈥
The minister pointed out that governments are approving estimates when a budget is passed and then spend in response to developments throughout the year.
鈥淭his activity isn鈥檛 happening in the last two weeks of the year. Spending decisions are being made every week,鈥 MacMaster said.
However, the additional spending has ballooned under successive governments according to Adair鈥檚 report. Spending totalling $263 million in 2012-13 had tripled to $896 million by 2021-22.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender called MacMaster鈥檚 response 鈥渢roubling鈥 and said it stood in contrast to complaints raised by the Tories about a lack of oversight around spending when they were in opposition.
鈥淚 think the minister鈥檚 comments show a fundamental disregard and a certain lack of understanding of our legislative process,鈥 Chender said. 鈥淲e are the only province in Canada that doesn鈥檛 have this type of (legislature) oversight and I think it should raise alarm bells for people.鈥
Chender said the auditor general鈥檚 report presents an opportunity to make changes to the current Finance Act in order to make it more transparent.
鈥淭he government ought to do that,鈥 she said.
This report by 香港六合彩挂牌资料 was first published Dec. 8, 2022.
