A prominent economist and public policy expert says the future is not great for New Brunswick.
Director for the Canadian Institute for Research on Public Policy and Public Administration Richard Saillant says the province is facing a double whammy, an aging population and lower equalization payments.
He says transfer payments used to account for 40 percent of the provincial budget, but it has been declining so fast, that it is now down to 36 per cent. This year we are minus three million dollars.
Saillant adds New Brunswick needs to do everything it can to reduce spending, and maximize revenue including investigating shale gas before going to the federal government to ask for more money.
