A column by Becky Kent:

It’s been a very busy month for myself and my fellow colleagues at Province House and I want to use this column to share with you what I’ve been up to recently.

Ironically a high point for me took place away from the Legislature at the Mawio'mi Childcare Centre located on the Dartmouth Waterfront Campus of the NSCC. It was there on April 12 that I joined Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse to announce a $5 million provincial investment in early learning and childcare. This important funding will help many families across Nova Scotia through the creation of 400 new child care subsidies, the elimination of the Assessed Daily Parent Fee for families and the establishment of a $2 million grant for childcare organizations to help cover operating expenses. These expenses include such things as staffing, training and equipment.

It was very appropriate that this announcement took place at Mawio’mi. The Centre provides an all encompassing approach to early childhood development which myself and my government strongly support. Not only do they give on-the-job training for students enrolled in the Nova Scotia School of Early Childhood Development, but they also provide quality affordable childcare for those attending the NSCC. In the process they are helping to create the good jobs our economy needs while giving young Nova Scotians the resources and support they require to achieve their professional goals and improve their lot in life. It’s a powerful combination and I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to the staff at Mowio’mi and experience firsthand the important work they do.

Greater funding for childcare subsidies is just one of the many measures included in the provincial budget that was tabled on April 6 - the first true budget for our NDP government. The previous government left us with a serious financial challenge and tough choices had to be made in order to maintain the quality of services like health care and education you deserve.

That being said, I’m pleased to say that through strategic and targeted measures this budget will make life more affordable for you and your family while still maintaining our focus on getting back to balance and living within our means.

Even before the budget was introduced, over 400,000 Nova Scotia households enjoyed the removal of the HST from home electricity. In this budget we continue this trend by providing a point-of-sale HST rebate on children’s clothing and footwear, along with diapers and feminine hygiene products. In tough economic times such as these, we believe that you should never have to struggle to purchase necessities.

The budget also includes an Affordable Living Credit for households earning less than $30,000 annually, provides for the first tax break for small businesses since 1992 and ensures all seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement will no longer have to pay provincial income tax. Something that will benefit 18,000 seniors.

Overall the budget outlines a thoughtful and caring approach to make life more affordable, create the jobs our economy needs, improve health care delivery, all while bringing our bringing our finances back to balance by 2013-2014. It’s a plan that protects the valuable services we rely on today, while laying the groundwork to achieve greater prosperity tomorrow. It’s the right budget for Nova Scotia.