HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s official Opposition leader is taking aim at the government’s $1.4-billion deficit that she says has been driven in part by spending that is not authorized by the legislature.
Claudia Chender said it’s irresponsible that the Progressive Conservative government has been spending about a billion dollars a year that isn’t included in annual budgets.
The province’s auditor general has said that Premier Tim Houston’s government has spent $6.7 billion outside the budget process since the 2020-21 fiscal year, including $1.6 billion in 2024-25.
The province is set to release its new budget during the sitting of the legislature that begins Feb. 23.
Earlier this month, credit rating agency S&P Global lowered its long-term and senior unsecured debt ratings on Nova Scotia from double-A-minus to A-plus, predicting deficits over the next two years will increase the need to borrow money.
Finance Minister John Lohr said after a cabinet meeting Thursday the credit downgrading is indicative of how global economic pressure over the past year has impacted the provincial economy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2026.
