Houston, who is also the energy minister, returned Wednesday to the legislature after spending time at a mining conference in Toronto.

As loud protests carried on outside, Houston told the legislature he remains firm on the fiscal plan and he doesn’t expect any changes to the budget.

“This is a tough time for our province. This is a tough time for our country,” he said.

Houston later told reporters that the province’s $1.2-billion deficit is simply part of a “sad reality.”