"The Minister has been preparing this fiscal update for the past three weeks and brought forward a document today that says very little," said Thistle. "I was expecting a detailed set of documents outlining where we stand in the current fiscal year due to several changing circumstances, including cost savings on interest payments because of the increased value of the Canadian dollar.

"Instead, what we did receive was confirmation from the Minister that the fiscal situation of the province has improved substantially due to factors that are not related to the government. Federal transfers, higher oil revenues and other external factors are the only reason for the improved situation in the province.

"The lack of action by this government to promote economic development is evident in this fiscal update today. Now in the second year of their mandate, the government has failed to improve the economy in any area of the province. The revenue sources which the government does have some control over have not improved. It is obvious that the Provincial government has not stimulated the economy the way they claimed they would. In fact the opposite is true. Their doom and gloom message has killed consumer confidence in this province and it shows."