The Opposition finance critic is warning that there isn’t a lot of fat for the provincial government to cut as it prepares to deliver its first budget.

Last week, government called for input on the budget, with Finance Minister Craig Pardy saying he’s looking to make good on the promises outlined in the PC Blue Book.

Sarah Stoodley says there isn’t a lot of room for new spending, and she’s wondering how the government will live up to its nearly $300-million in campaign promises – including providing better healthcare.

“They are spending a lot on health care. Forty per cent of the budget goes on health care. I think they’re going to have a very large challenge of how do they deliver better health care with the existing budget,” she told VOCM News.

“I’ll be honest, I’d be surprised if they can do that within the existing budget. They’ll probably need to add more to that.”