Category Economics

The Atlantica Party will introduce a balanced budget law in Nova Scotia. This will ensure all budgets are balanced or surplus budgets. The new law will also ban any borrowing by the provincial government unless it is to service the existing debt load. 

“Government has no business borrowing money”, said Jonathan Dean, Leader of the Atlantica Party. "Unlike most entities the government with assent of the Legislature has the power to increase revenue by raising taxes. If government wants to overspend then it must raise the funds through new direct taxation of Nova Scotians.”

The Atlantica Party will bring the Nova Scotia liquor industry into the 21st Century by having government vacate both the retail and wholesale liquor business and turn them over to the private market. 

This means any individual, family, entrepreneur, startup, company can sell and/or import and/or make liquor provided appropriate standards are maintained. An Atlantica Party government will sell off the assets of the NSLC to the highest bidder. As a result, many benefits will accrue to Nova Scotians: 

The Atlantica Party (AP) supports eliminating business taxes in Nova Scotia. "Let's put money back into the pockets of the people who create opportunity and wealth," said Jonathan Dean, Leader of the Atlantica Party. "This will also encourage businesses to move here and grow the economy."

Currently, Corporate Income Tax in Nova Scotia represents only 3.6% of government revenues. 

The Atlantica Party recommends that the government and NSLC vacate the cannabis business and turn it over entirely to Nova Scotian entrepreneurs. 

This means any private Nova Scotia individual or group could start an entity to grow, manufacture and sell cannabis products. The government's role should be relegated to helping build the industry through licensing, providing standards and law enforcement.

The Atlantica Party supports a binding referendum on whether clearcutting should be allowed on Crown Land.

Clearcutting on crown land has been a contentious issue for years in Nova Scotia. Advocates point to the economic benefits of clearing tracts of the forest while opponents decry the damage done to forests and the resulting eyesore of large patches of wasteland. 

The Atlantica Party will reform Nova Scotia MLA pensions.

The Atlantica Party's mission of a smaller, more transparent and accountable government means our representatives need to set an example of lower costs and less waste. Therefore, an Atlantica Party government will replace the current 22 to 1 (that is, taxpayers contribute directly and indirectly 22 times more than the MLA) pension scheme with dollar for dollar personally directed RRSPs where MLAs and taxpayers contribute equally. 

The Atlantica Party will make Nova Scotia the first province in Canada to adopt a flat tax as part of its program to make Nova Scotia a "have" province. 

"If Nova Scotia is to survive, it must become a province that more people want to come to than leave," said Jonathan Dean, Leader of the Atlantica Party. "The Atlantica Party is focused on policies to achieve this goal, and a flat income tax would be a great benefit."

Clear Cutting on crown land has been a contentious issue for years in Nova Scotia. Advocates point to the economic benefits of clearing tracts of the forest while opponents decry the damage done to forests and the resulting eyesore of large patches of wasteland. 

Everyone wants affordable housing, especially for the poor. The real question is how to get there. An even more basic question is whether that should be the ultimate goal. Maybe it would be better for everyone to have a truly free market where the poor had better paying jobs, weren’t poor anymore, and the government didn’t have to worry about housing at all. A truly free market would find creative solutions for the poor as well.

The Atlantica Party recommends that the government and NSLC vacate the cannabis business and turn it over fully to Nova Scotian entrepreneurs.