There is increasing uncertainty about the Royal Canadian Navy’s shipbuilding program.

The premier of Nova Scotia is among those concerned the new Liberal government is taking a second look at the bottom line and may decide to reduce the number of ships to be built in Halifax.

The project is already thought to be seriously over budget.

Justin Trudeau promised during the election campaign the shipbuilding program wouldn’t be touched.

Stephen McNeil says it’s vital that the new government keep its promises.

The premier says Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan gave no hints of changes when he was in Halifax last weekend but, he’s got another call into Ottawa.

“To speak directly to the defense minister, but I fully expect them to live up to the commitment they made,” says N.S. Premier Stephen McNeil, “which was that they would be putting the appropriate money aside to make sure the contract gets fulfilled.

For now, the premier is only worried about the artic patrol ships, not the fifteen combat vessels, which are to come later.

Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says election campaign promises are not enough.

“This is too important,” says Baillie. “I actually want a written guarantee that there’ll be no tinkering with that shipyard contract from the federal government.”

Former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna also weighed in.

McKenna says he is concerned about the viability of one of the other shipyards tasked for the project.

“There’s no doubt in the middle of this is the political issue around the Davie Shipyard, which has been insolvent for much of its life,” he says. “But the shipyard in Halifax and the one in B.C., these shipyards have been very vigorous and very solvent, and I hope the ships come through as scheduled.”

Late Thursday afternoon, Irving Shipbuilding released a statement.

It says, in part: “Irving Shipbuilding remains confident that the Canadian Government will build the complete combatant package of ships at Halifax Shipyard.”

The statement goes on to say, “We regularly review technical and cost options to help the Canadian Government identify the right solution to meet the navy’s requirements.”

A complicating factor has been re-tooling in the industry.

The entire shipbuilding industry had to be itself re-built, in order to build new navy ships.

Irving Shipbuilding says it has hired 265 people this year for the project.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw