New Democrats would cancel March Madness

Controlling unbudgeted spending would save $210 million

FREDERICTON – A New Democrat voice in the Legislature will fight to stop the annual flood of wasteful government spending known as March Madness, NDP candidates Pierre Cyr (Nepisiguit) and Jesse Travis (New Maryland-Sunbury West) announced today.

Mr. Cyr, a retired provincial public servant, said: “At the end of each fiscal year, there is a lot of pressure on government departments to spend every dollar in their budgets, regardless of whether the spending is needed. In my career, I saw a lot of money wasted on new furniture, computers and other unneeded supplies. The New Democrats have a great plan to stop this from happening.”  

The New Democrats propose that each department be required to publicly report its unbudgeted expenditures each year, so that the Minister responsible can be held accountable. Nova Scotia's NDP government began holding Ministers responsible for their departments' unbudgeted expenditures last year and managed to reduced March Madness spending by $253 million. The estimated saving in New Brunswick would be $210 million.    

“When I talk with government employees in my constituency about how to fight the deficit, March Madness is something that comes up again and again,” Mr. Travis said. “Middle class families work hard and expect the tax dollars they spend to be used efficiently, not spent just for the sake of being spent. A New Democrat voice in the Legislature will fight to make sure middle class families get value for their tax dollars, not more government waste.”    


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For more information, please call Dominic Cardy, New Brunswick NDP Campaign Director, at 506-238-5550.