Highlights of the coming year include: Highlights of the coming year include:

• expanding SchoolsPlus into more regions • merging administrative services of district • tripling the number of students who can health authorities and the IWK, with participate in online virtual classrooms anticipated savings of $7.6 million this year growing to $41.5 million • increasing funding per student to $10,457, the highest it has ever been • continuing to evaluate departmental programs and services for effectiveness • ensuring that class sizes remain at current and affordability 20-year low Government Business Plan • saving more money through strategic for the fiscal year 2012–2013 • doubling the number of schools offering purchasing skilled trades, and helping students prepare for upcoming shipbuilding opportunities • continuing restraint on out-of-province travel and the purchase and use of cell phones, • establishing skilled trades centres in other Message from Blackberries, and office space parts of the province is on the verge of some of the largest economic projects in the province’s • expanding Succeeding in Reading into Grade 2 history. Opportunities like the shipbuilding contract, the Lower Churchill hydroelectric • launching a social marketing campaign Conclusion project, and Shell Oil’s commitment to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in on cyberbullying and reviewing all exploration off our coast are going to significantly boost our economy. Much careful Nova Scotia is moving forward with a plan. recommendations in the recent report work and planning went into securing these projects, and much work lies ahead. This plan will ensure that the government aligns its resources to support what matters In the coming year, the province will work hard to build upon this momentum, to Nova Scotians: better health care, creating capitalize on these opportunities, and aggressively seek others. Ensuring That good jobs and growing the economy, making This is year three of our multi-year plan to make life better for Nova Scotia’s families. Government Lives life affordable for families, and ensuring that government lives within its means. Government Our plan is focused on the priorities that matter most for Nova Scotians: Within Its Means will also work to ensure that our children • creating good jobs and growing the economy succeed at school through the Kids & Learning Government’s fiscal plan is working. Nova First plan. In the coming year, these priorities • better health care for you and your family Scotians want their government to have solid will provide the overarching framework for the financial footing and the province is delivering • making life more affordable work of government. on its plan to get the Nova Scotia budget back • putting kids and learning first, and to balance. • ensuring that government lives within its means

For the third year in a row, departmental Nova Scotia is positioned to succeed. The future starts here. spending is forecast to be under budget. That hasn’t happened in at least 45 years. Moving forward, government continues to maintain spending discipline. Sincerely,

Darrell Dexter Premier of Nova Scotia • creating a regional venture capital fund • opening 76 new and 440 replacement Highlights of the coming year include: Creating Good to provide early-stage seed capital, in nursing home beds across Nova Scotia • reductions in personal income tax, which partnership with others Jobs and Growing • providing significant investments in will allow about 78,000 Nova Scotians to • helping to fund the cost of technologically hospital facilities keep more income the Economy advanced machinery • purchasing new hospital equipment such • increasing the Nova Scotia Child Benefit, • increasing skills and training opportunities as anesthesia machines, monitors, and which will help 24,000 families and nearly for Nova Scotians patient beds 40,000 children • providing a ten-year extension of the Equity • supporting additional in-home • providing additional funding, on top of last Tax Credit and Labour-Sponsored Venture dialysis treatment year’s increase, that will support people with Capital Tax Credit • reducing wait times for radiation therapy disabilities to live more independently

Today, more people are working in Nova Scotia • protecting more than 100,000 seniors against • providing funding to protect seniors against than at any other time in the province’s history. Better Care Sooner increases to Pharmacare premiums and increases to their Pharmacare premiums Over the next 30 years, Nova Scotia will see copayments and copayments growth like it’s never seen before, thanks to the • supporting health promotion by investing • increasing the Poverty Reduction Credit shipbuilding contracts, offshore exploration, in recreation facilities and physical activity and the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project. development These projects will provide significant benefits • developing and implementing a strategy Kids & to our economy and allow Nova Scotians to for people living with mental health and succeed at home. addiction issues Learning First The province is improving access to health- The province is also creating a competitive • expanding addictions treatment in the care professionals and addressing long waits business environment, and investing in the Annapolis Valley at emergency rooms. There will be more skills and hard work of Nova Scotia’s workers Collaborative Emergency Centres opened in and businesses. Thanks to investments in Nova Scotia in the coming year, along with training and innovation under jobsHere, Nova significant investments in seniors, children, and Making Life More Scotians will be able to take advantage of families. Better Care Sooner is the province’s present and future opportunities. Affordable for plan to create a sustainable health-care system Nova Scotia has many hard-working teachers, and the province is investing more money per Highlights of the coming year include: that meets the needs of the entire province. Nova Scotians student than ever before. But there are also • implementing a $610 million Jobs and Highlights of the Better Care Sooner plan include: serious challenges, such as a declining number Building Plan, including investments in roads, of students and increasing concern about • providing more Nova Scotians with same-day infrastructure, buildings, IT, and land purchases results in fundamental skills such as math, or next-day appointments and 24/7 access reading, and writing. • supporting upgrades to Irving Shipbuilding, to emergency care at Collaborative and enabling the next generation of Emergency Centres Kids & Learning First is the province’s plan Canada’s navy fleet to be built in Nova • increasing the number of paramedics and to help students succeed. It is about doing Scotia The government is committed to making life things differently. nurses at Collaborative Emergency Centres more affordable for families. This coming year, • dropping the small business corporate • enhancing the ability of seniors to stay in the government will put more money back income tax rate from 4 per cent to 3.5 per their homes longer by increasing funding into the hands of families, low-income Nova cent, as well as other measures to make for home support visits Scotians, students, and seniors. Nova Scotia more competitive in business • providing additional in-home nursing care services