A second day of meetings in New Brunswick as both private and public sector groups try to come up with ideas for reining in the province’s massive deficit.
The province is looking for $600-million in savings or new revenue streams.
As part of a program to identify places to cut or make money, representatives of different communities and economic sectors gathered Thursday in Fredericton.
“People were less inclined to just point fingers and say, ‘Cut over there,’” said Marilyn Quinn of the New Brunswick Nurses Union.
“I think people understand there's going to be change and the people came to this meeting saying, ‘If it's going to be done, let's have some input into that,’” she said.
Raising the Harmonized Sales Tax came up in the course of discussion, but Brian Gallant’s Liberal government has said that measure is ruled out completely.
Some say spending cuts we’re the main topics of discussion.
“I've really been hearing that we're really focusing on cutting and that we cannot look towards those new streams of revenue until the fiscal house is in order,” said Amanda Wildeman, executive director of the National Farmers Union’s provincial chapter.
Victor Boudreau, the cabinet minister responsible for the strategic review, says he’d like to see a surplus budget after eight consecutive deficit years.
“Before getting there, we need to address the fiscal challenges, we need to balance the books,” Boudreau said.
“Before we can be profitable, we have to break even right, I mean, that's how businesses work."
The ideas discussed at Thursday’s input session will be used by the government to establish a series of proposals, which are to be published in the fall.
There will be further consultation on certain options before the Liberal government delivers its second budget next spring.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Andy Campbell
