Despite better than projected first quarter fiscal numbers, Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale says the province needs to be back in the black before they can significantly increase spending again.
Higher oil prices and strong land lease sales led the province to lower it's deficit forecast for this year from 3.4 billion dollars to 1.3 billion.
A member of the province's treasury board, Drysdale thinks they could be close to balancing the books as early as next year.
Last week's report by finance minister Lloyd Snelgrove has led to opposition parties and school boards asking the province to provide an additional 100 million for education, so that proposed teacher cuts can be avoided.
