The province has announced it will be cutting it’s budget by 9 per cent across the board.
The cuts account for the 4 per cent increase that would usually be made to accommodate for population increases and inflation, as well as an additional 5 per cent decrease in government spending.
The price of oil is not expected to make any drastic increases over the next three years, meaning the province could be facing a nearly $20 billion shortfall in that time.
Education and health care account for about 61 per cent of the government’s spending, both of which the province would like to protect, though Finance Minister Robin Campbell says still they may not be safe from cuts.