Even as his government confronts financial headwinds that require a budget with cuts to jobs, grants and programs and a plan that calls for even deeper cuts in the subsequent three years, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his government will continue to spend outside the budget as necessary.

“When we see a need that we’re able to address, we address it,” Houston told reporters at Province House in Halifax on Wednesday.

The budget being debated before the House has a deficit of more than $1.2 billion and the province is projected to remain in a deficit in the coming years as expenses outpace revenues.

The Progressive Conservatives have spent $6.7 billion outside their own budgets during the time since they came to power in 2021. The pervasive use of the practice, known as additional appropriations, has drawn the criticism of the province’s auditor general.

But Houston told reporters on Wednesday that there are instances, such as natural disasters, where it cannot be helped. In other cases, he said, it’s the government responding to circumstances where there’s additional money that could be useful for a given need, such as health care, retention bonuses and nursing homes.

“I think the message is, when we can do for Nova Scotians we do for Nova Scotians. And if there’s something that comes up that needs to be addressed and it’s not in the budget but it’s an obvious thing that needs to be addressed and we can, we’re not going to change. We’re still going to do that.”

Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said the premier is basically saying he’ll overspend no matter the province’s financial circumstances.

“This is an accountant that is supposed to be in charge of managing — or at least trying to have the ministers manage their own department and they have free will to spend,” Rankin told reporters.

“So why even have the budget process?”

The government is continuing down “a path of unsustainable spending and Nova Scotians — especially future generations — are going to have a lot to pay for,” said Rankin.

The Liberals introduced a motion on Wednesday that would have brought some ministers back to answer questions as part of budget debate in light of recent changes to cuts Houston announced earlier this week.

The government defeated the motion.

Rankin said MLAs are being asked to vote on a budget with changes being made after the opportunity to ask cabinet ministers about their respective department budgets.

“And those ministers need to be held accountable somehow,” he said.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender, who, like the auditor general and Rankin, has called for the government to bring additional appropriations before the legislature for debate, said the premier’s approach makes even less sense in a time when the province is facing cuts and deficits.

“We need transparency, we need fiscal accountability, we need clarity on how departments spend their money and we’re not getting any of that,” she told reporters.

“What we’re getting is political speaking points from a government that’s in chaos and trying their hardest to do damage control.”

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