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- Premier To Meet With Canada's Leading Economists
- Premier Rodney MacDonald and Finance Minister Michael Baker will meet today, Nov. 17, with economic forecasters from Canada's Banks as well as the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) and the Conference Board of Canada. (More...)
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Premier's Speeches
Land Acquisitions
Anglican Church Hall, 14 Parish St., Mahone Bay
Remarks by Premier Rodney MacDonald
Thursday 22 February 2007
It truly is my pleasure to be here today to share some more good news with Nova Scotians. It is good news for generations of Nova Scotians who will inherit and lead the New Nova Scotia.
The path to the New Nova Scotia builds on our strengths, such as innovation and environmental leadership. It's about seizing new economic opportunities and creating winning conditions and connections with the world. And the New Nova Scotia builds for individuals, families and communities through better health, vibrant communities and our rich natural and cultural heritage.
My government is delivering on a commitment during the election to expand protected areas, green spaces and acquire more environmentally significant coastal land.
As promised, we have already expanded nature reserves and designated new ones. Today, we are securing more of Nova Scotia's unique natural assets, wildlife habitat, waterways, and spaces that Nova Scotians –now and decades from now– can enjoy and respect.
My government has been able to do this responsibly, never foregoing prudent financial management, especially now.
The Province of Nova Scotia is acquiring several exciting new properties this year in Lunenburg, Halifax, Queens, and Guysborough counties. These special acquisitions total 699 hectares (approximately 1,727 acres).
My good friend, the Honourable Michael Baker, a tremendous advocate for his constituents and all Nova Scotians, is also a wise and skilled minister of finance.
While Nova Scotia is facing challenging times as it heads toward the 2007/08 budget, provincial departments have been trimming non-essential spending for the last several months.
Government will not lose focus on meeting our financial target while we wait for fiscal decisions from our federal counterparts. Minister Baker has prepared us all for that.
That being said, the work of government continues and during the past year opportunities presented themselves that would allow us to expand Crown lands. It would have been nice to have said "yes" to every opportunity, but we could not.
We assessed and analyzed the merits of each property. These lands will help Nova Scotia protect endangered species, and return some of this province's precious coastal property to Nova Scotians' hands.
These lands will provide recreational and environmental benefits to Nova Scotians today and into the future. I am truly pleased to say our children and our children's children will be exposed to the influences that shaped so much of our province's rich cultural heritage.
The province will continue to champion public-private stewardship of our natural assets. We will carefully weigh and balance competitive economic needs with measures that recognize and care for our natural treasures. We will make good on our promise to use a "green filter" to ensure that we are making the best possible decisions for the New Nova Scotia we are building together.
We are investing now, creating winning conditions for Nova Scotians, our culture, natural heritage and future legacy. We are starting with the properties that Natural Resources Minister David Morse will now highlight.