Nova Scotia finance minister defends spending process criticized by auditor general

Nova Scotia's finance minister has dismissed the need for more oversight of extra government spending, saying any such debate in the legislature would occur after the money had been spent.

Allan MacMaster on Thursday responded to a report this week from Auditor General Kim Adair, who accused the government of lacking accountability and transparency. Adair said Nova Scotia's budgeting process is unique in Canada and has allowed governments to approve $4.7 billion in extra spending over the last 10 years without being subjected to review or approval by the legislature.

But MacMaster said the government is open and accountable because it is required to deliver two fiscal updates a year.

"I feel that things are very transparent now," he told reporters following a cabinet meeting. MacMaster added that bringing the spending before the legislature would happen "after the fact," because the reporting is usually done as the fiscal year ends.

Nova Scotia governments typically table a new budget in the spring of each year and follow it up with forecasts in late summer and in December.

"With the budget forecasts, we're doing them in a more timely way," said MacMaster. "Yes, it's not going through the legislature, but it is going through the public with media — there's also technical briefings and the opposition are certainly welcomed."

'Spending decisions are being made every week'

The minister pointed out that governments are approving estimates when a budget is passed and then spend in response to developments throughout the year.

"This activity isn't happening in the last two weeks of the year. Spending decisions are being made every week," MacMaster said.

However, the additional spending has ballooned under successive governments according to Adair's report. Spending totalling $263 million in 2012-13 had tripled to $896 million by 2021-22.

'Troubling response'

NDP Leader Claudia Chender called MacMaster's response "troubling" and said it stood in contrast to complaints raised by the Tories about a lack of oversight around spending when they were in opposition.

"I think the minister's comments show a fundamental disregard and a certain lack of understanding of our legislative process," Chender said. "We are the only province in Canada that doesn't have this type of [legislature] oversight and I think it should raise alarm bells for people."

Chender said the auditor general's report presents an opportunity to make changes to the current Finance Act in order to make it more transparent.

"The government ought to do that," she said.