News Release Archive
PREMIER--YEAR-END MESSAGE ------------------------------------------------------------ Premier John Savage says his biggest hope for 1996 is that it will be a year in which Nova Scotians build on the positive developments that have occurred in the past 12 months. "Nova Scotians have worked very hard all year to pull out of the recession and build a pattern of recovery and new growth, and their efforts are paying off," the premier said. "I hope we can allow ourselves to be encouraged by our successes during 1995, so that we can rise above our difficulties and come out with an even stronger year of recovery in 1996." The premier pointed to some of the economic milestones which he plans to target and expand upon during the coming year. "In the past twelve months, Nova Scotia has shown the second highest job growth in Canada - second only to British Columbia," the premier said. "Our economy produced nine thousand new jobs between November 1994 and November 1995, and two thirds of these jobs were full-time." If the pattern holds to the end of the year, it will be the second year in a row for Nova Scotia. The province had the second highest job growth in Canada during 1994 as well. "We have a lot of work ahead of us because Nova Scotians in large numbers remain unemployed, and families are in stress. But I feel encouraged that there are 18,000 more Nova Scotians employed today than there were when this government took office," said Premier Savage. "We are moving in the right direction. My job is to do everything possible to ensure that we continue that trend." The premier acknowledged that looming cuts in federal transfer payments and subsidies will create significant challenges for the government in the months ahead, but he says the difficulties will not be insurmountable. "The fact that we have succeeded in bringing costs under control and balancing the budget places us in a position of strength we did not have claim to a couple of years ago," said the premier. "I am determined that not only will we succeed in absorbing the reductions, we will do so in a way that preserves the compassionate quality life that is such an important aspect of life in Nova Scotia." "I feel confident that we can do this because we have done it before. While other Canadian provinces have met their bottom line with slashing and across the board cuts that impact on the poor, Nova Scotia has been careful to temper its cost control measures and balance them with initiatives such as a 2 per cent increase in family benefits, tax cuts that have provided relief for 155,000 low income Nova Scotians, and increases in the number of subsidized day-care spaces." The premier highlighted developments during 1995 which will lead to significant added employment across the province in 1996. "Thanks to the confidence in the economy demonstrated recently by Stora Forest Industries, there will be 400 new jobs in the Strait Area in the coming year. We also anticipate 700 jobs to result directly from the Highway 104 construction project, in addition to 1,500 spin off jobs. And we expect continued new employment opportunities in Nova Scotia's pharmaceutical and information sectors - two sectors which have shown outstanding success in recent days." "Nova Scotia is one of the finest places in Canada - and indeed in the world - in which to live and work," said Premier Savage. "I intend that a year from now, it will still be a province that offers a very special lifestyle and many advantages - but even more so, as our opportunities and our prosperity grow, and hope replaces the malaise that has become so prevalent during the difficult recession years." -30- Contact: Ann Graham Walker 902-424-2590 trp Dec. 29, 1995