Opposition leader Blaine Higgs, who says New Brunswickers are overtaxed, is claiming had the provincial Conservatives won the last provincial election, there would have been no increase in the HST and there would be a budget surplus.
Higgs was finance minister at the time. He says the Conservatives were also working to eliminate the double taxation property owners have been complaining about. He concedes it would cost the provincial government something like $50 million dollars so getting rid of it would have to be done in phases.
New Brunswick has one of the lowest provincial tax burdens for businesses among the provinces but individual New Brunswickers face one of the highest burdens, according to the Conference Board of Canada and higher property taxes is one reason why.
