After the months of uncertainty -- two throne speeches and two confidence votes -- the New Brunswick legislature has now adjourned until March.

Blaine Higgs had to wait a while to become Premier, but once he did he quickly set the tone for the new government and sent a message that he plans to spend less by beginning to make some significant cuts.

That doesn’t include a refusal to budge beyond the $10 million committed to the Francophonie Games after a business case revealed that the expected costs had soared from $17 million to $130 million.

It's an odd end to a tumultuous year in New Brunswick politics and the debate over the rising cost of the Francophonie Games, has brought out - surprisingly - some common ground.

“Well that's too much money,” Green Party leader David Coon said. “I can't imagine that we can't find a way to do the games at a budget that's affordable.”

Peoples Alliance of New Brunswick leader Kris Austin would like to see the games go to Moncton and Dieppe, but only if they can stay within the forecasted budget.

“I firmly believe that if it can be done within the ten million dollar price tag, have at it,” Austin said. “If not cut your losses and move on.”

Gallant admitted the budget in the case is unwieldy.

“The budget has to be reduced significantly and hopefully they're going to be able to find a way to do that,” he said.

Higgs was clear about his desire to have the games.

“I don't want to see the games cancelled, that's not the preference, but it goes along with other decisions about other projects and things that we’ve been spending money on and people say, well do you stop?” Higgs said. “Well, if you're digging a hole, and you're getting deeper in the hole, and you see no ability to get out of that hole, you don't just keep digging.”

Higgs says the ball is now in the federal government's court.

It's a story that may ring familiar in Halifax,

when, a decade ago, the city backed out of hosting the Commonwealth Games because the price tag was too high.

University of New Brunswick-Saint John political scientist J.P. Lewis says 2018 has ended as a preview for 2019.

Lewis says the Francophonie Games and the recent capital budget cuts reveal a frosty relationship between the Higgs and Trudeau governments; perhaps an indication of what's to come.

“With a federal election coming this fall, with Higgs in a minority situation, and with projects that are kind of at the centre of discussion, dealing with both levels of government, I think we're just going to get more of this,” Lewis said. “We're going to get more of you know Higgs and his ministers against Wayne Long and Dominic Leblanc.

Gallant, the former premier who not only lost his majority but finished second in last fall’s election, is keen to see how Higgs approaches governing in the New Year.

“I think what will demonstrate whether they really are going to use the legislature for what it can be: a great place to debate, discuss and decide how we move forward as a province,” Gallant said.

The MLAs return in March, when the Higgs government will table its first budget.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.