Budget Scoop?

The Paper is reporting that cuts are unlikely in the next provincial budget. Wow. Shocker there. However, I have received word that spending for most departments will be more or less frozen. Most, but not all.

A guy on the bus, who's sister-in-law works for the guy who cuts the hair of the ex-girlfriend of Minister Rosann Wowchuck's mechanic tells me that there will once again be a substantial increase in health care spending, despite the proposal to freeze union wages. Something in the neighbourhood of $300 mil. There were many options explored for cutting back and holding the line on health care, but most were rejected due to a lack of political will or fear of voter wrath.

I guess Rosann blurts stuff out while she's getting her weekly tune up. Anyhow, that's what I've heard. I don't know if it's true. I don't know if it's not true.

Stats
Healthcare Budget / Forecast / Overspend (all in $millions)
2007 ... 4050 / 4154 / 104
2008 ... 4371 / 4583 / 212
2009 ... 4723 / ? / ?

Funny quirk: when you look in the 2008 budget document, the 2008 health care budget is $4371 mil. When you look in the 2009 budget document, the 2008 health care budget is $4,469 -- almost $100 million more. Ergo, the increase in the budget appears to be $100 million less than it really is. I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.


Must have something to do with "The 2008/09 Budget numbers originally presented in the 2008 Budget Address have been restated to be consistent with the current presentation for the Government Reporting Entity." or maybe "Numbers may not add due to rounding."