Last week, I unveiled my government’s three-year, $1.9 billion infrastructure plan called Building for Growth. Building for Growth is one of the largest infrastructure programs in our province’s history.

This investment will create a legacy of growth. It’s an investment in our people and our future. In the short term, it will create and maintain about 20,000 jobs. In the longer term, the plan speaks to our vision of what Nova Scotia can and will be in the years to come.

Like my government, Building for Growth is committed to energy conservation. We are committing $50 million to green energy projects, starting with energy audits on all government buildings later this month and continuing with renovations that will make those buildings among the most energy efficient in Canada.

A full $1 billion of Building for Growth will be directed to building a safer and more modern transportation that will improve our roads, highways and bridges and will give us the infrastructure we need to become Canada’s Atlantic Gateway.

Over the next three years, we estimate we will spend $480 million in schools and information technology. That will build and repair schools and invest in technology that will reduce wait times or ensure greater productivity.

We will direct $380 million to build safer, healthier communities, through Building for Growth. With that amount, we will accelerate hospital renovations and we will upgrade and modernize our healthcare facilities. We will address social housing through our soon to be final Poverty Strategy, and we will build on the progress we’ve made in making our streets and communities safer by improving our correctional facilities.

Our stimulus plan also presents an opportunity to invest in sectors that support our long-term prosperity. That means investing to keep the revenues and job figures in the areas of tourism, culture and heritage strong. We will use $40 million s to improve our signature resorts, our museums, our parks and develop our waterfronts.

Finally, we want to make sure Nova Scotians have the skills they need to get the jobs that are being created. To that end, we are investing $24 million over the next two years to train and retrain workers.

These investments are just one part of the equation. We remain committed to managing our money wisely. We intend to introduce our eighth consecutive balanced budget this year. We’re going to revise our debt management plan, which means the debt will grow over the next three years.

In these times, I think it’s a necessary decision and one that is short-term. At the end of 2011-2012, our debt to gross domestic product ratio will be the same as it is today, and we will be in a position to stop the debt from growing.

I believe that a balanced budget, and our planned investments in infrastructure and job creation will help us weather this economic turmoil and be stronger for it. For more information about Building for Growth, please visit www.buildingfornovascotia.ca