We take this same strategic approach in managing our finances and in our role in the economy overall. So when you ask how we should we spend the fiscal dividend, our answer is that we should invest strategically to create the conditions for economic growth in the twenty-first century. Economic growth is more than an end in itself. It is through economic growth that we can offer services that help create a high quality of life while keeping taxes at a reasonable level. In turn, those same services help us to grow, as our subsidized health-care costs make us more competitive than many American locations.
Balance is essential.
Too great a focus on any one area creates distortion and over time the economy suffers, and society suffers. Maintaining the balance is a challenge for governments. But our future depends upon it, both as a province and as a nation. We already have a strong foundation. Canada has been ranked as the best place in the world to live.