Now he knows his ABCs: Finance minister says agencies, boards, commissions co-operating on spending

Newfoundland and Labrador's Finance Minister says he's backing off a threat to introduce legislation to make agencies, boards and commissions more accountable — for now.

"The reason I wanted the legislation was to get the dialogue that was necessary, to get the information that was necessary, to have co-operation that was necessary in order to try to find savings," said Tom Osborne at Confederation Building on Monday afternoon.

Sixty per cent of all money spent by the province goes through those entities, said Osborne, and 80 per cent of that is on salaries. That's why he put them on notice during the fall fiscal update in November that he would introduce legislation to force them to cut costs.

'Level of co-operation …has improved significantly'

Since then, some of those organizations have been co-operating without pressure from the government, said Osborne. 

"We've yet to have dialogue with a couple of the ABCs that we need to, but overall I think the level of co-operation, the level of dialogue, has improved significantly."

If we're able to do that without legislation, look, I'm after results.- Tom Osborne

At the fall fiscal update, Osborne seemed particularly frustrated with Nalcor, but on Monday wouldn't single out any organization that has or hasn't started working with the provincial government. But, he said, he's satisfied that right now he doesn't need to take the "more heavy-handed approach" of legislation.

"It's important that we find efficiencies within agencies, boards and commissions," he said. "If we're able to do that without legislation, look, I'm after results. If it takes legislation in order get there, well, then we'll look at legislation if necessary."