Highlights from New Brunswick’s 2026-27 budget

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick Finance Minister René Legacy’s has tabled the province’s 2026-27 budget, which includes a large deficit driven by health care spending.

Here are some highlights:

— Total spending is forecast to be a $15.63-billion, with a projected deficit of $1.39 billion.

— Finance Department staff say the deficit would be the largest in the province’s history.

— The budget includes a plan to shrink the civil service by 12 per cent over three years, which is expected to save a total of $100 million.

— New Brunswick is projecting deficits for the next three years. This includes a projected $1.3-billion shortfall in the 2027-28 fiscal year and a $1.26-billion deficit the following year.

— The province’s estimated net debt for the year ending March 31, 2027 is $15.9 billion.

— The province proposes to increase health spending by $710 million, up by 17.4 per cent, compared to last year.

— The province is expecting to spend $4.8 billion in total on health care over the next year.

— Under the health budget, the government is proposing to spend $170.4 million to cover the costs of a new compensation model for doctors that incentivizes patient attachment and participation in collaborative clinics.

— The budget unveils plans to introduce a new toll by 2028 for out-of-province vehicles on the Trans-Canada Highway by the Nova Scotia border in Aulac, N.B., estimating it will bring in $10.4 million annually.

— New Brunswick plans to phase out its provincially-run field veterinary services over three years, handing off animal medical care to private providers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2026.

The Canadian Press