The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) says the Alward government was right for choosing in today’s budget to protect the interests of taxpayers against special interests demanding the province tax more and spend more.

The CTF applauded the government for not raising personal income taxes, HST or general corporate income taxes.

“The Alward government chose to side with the taxpayers of the province against the coalition of special interests who want taxpayers to pay more and government to spend more,” said Kevin Lacey, Atlantic Director of the CTF.

“Special interests, big labour and university professors have all been calling for New Brunswick families to pay more tax--we congratulate the government for have having the courage to tell those special interests no.”

During pre-budget consultation, the Federation asked Finance Minister Higgs to do the right thing and sell the government plane used by politicians. The CTF welcomes the promised review of the plane as a positive first step.

“At a time when the government is looking to cut back, it doesn’t square that the province’s politicians are flying around on a private plane. We’ll work over the coming months to convince the government to sell this expensive ‘gravy’plane for politicians,” said Lacey.

The Federation says the government’s commitment to take action on the huge pension deficit is a difficult, but necessary, reform.  

“We welcome the government’s commitment to tackle the huge problems in the New Brunswick’s pension system. For too long the governments has over committed and made promises to workers that it simply can’t keep.”