House of Assembly to reopen March 8 as cost-cutting budget looms

A date has been set for the reopening of Newfoundland and Labrador's Legislature, a sitting that will likely be dominated by tough financial decisions.

Speaker Tom Osborneannounced Tuesday that the House of Assembly will open on March 8.

It will mark the first time that Dwight Ball will rise in the legislature as premier.

The Liberals defeated the governing Tories in the Nov. 30 provincial election,but since then have been dealing with a series of financial blows largely connected to collapsing oil prices.

Shortly before Christmas, the provincial deficit was peggedat $1.96-billion.

No date has yet been set for the provincial budget. Finance Minister Cathy Bennett has asked all government departments and agencies to look for savings of 30 per cent as the Liberals draft their budget.