FREDERICTON, NB–New Brunswick Premier David Alward says the economy and the province’s finances will dominate the fall session of the provincial legislature which starts tomorrow.

He’s also promising to explain how the province will proceed on the contentious issue of shale gas development.

The province is projecting a $356 million deficit this year, that’s more than twice the amount first forecast in March.

Alward says, his government will present a number of initiatives in the coming weeks, but says tax increases are not among them.

“I don’t believe that this is the right time to increase taxes now for people anyway, because people are hurting.  I don’t believe that this is the time that we should be taking more of their hard earned tax dollars.”

Liberal Leader Brian Gallant says the government has to do something to address an unemployment rate of 11.6 per cent.

“It’s very worrisome to see that we are one of two provinces to have lost jobs in 2012.  When we look at our deficit that has grown, we look at our approximately ten billion dollar debt, we have a lot of fiscal financial and economic challenges.”

Tom Bateman, a political scientist at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, says much of the answer on that issue may come with how the government proceeds on the issue of shale gas development.

Batemen says, “The shale gas matter is all about the economy and its all about employment and a stable sources of revenues, and viable government program spending going forward.”

The Conservatives have 41 members in the legislature, while the Liberals have 13 and there is one independent.