Nova Scotia Premier Restores $53.6M in Funding After Protests

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston issued an apology on Tuesday and announced the reinstatement of $53.6 million in funding cuts to social grants and programs, responding to widespread public protests against his government's recent budget.

The reversal targets support for seniors, people with disabilities, African Nova Scotian communities and Indigenous students. Speaking at a news conference in Halifax, Houston acknowledged missteps in the budget process. "On some of the budget decisions, I got it wrong, and I'm sorry," he said. The Progressive Conservative government had proposed eliminating or reducing more than 280 grants across departments last month, aiming to save about $130 million amid a projected $1.2 billion deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Those cuts affected scholarships, community initiatives for Mi'kmaq and Black and African Nova Scotian groups, arts funding, and other programs, while also including the closure of three provincial museums and several tourist information centers, along with workforce reductions totaling a five percent cut in the civil service and three percent in public services and Crown corporations to save an additional $95 million.