Opposition House Leader Kelvin Goertzen is disappointed in the budget approved by the NDP Government last week. He says it continues to miss the mark in terms of responsible spending.

"The budget deficit is again projected to be over $400 million and we've seen in the past that the NDP routinely miss their projections, and not for the better either. They're always higher deficits than we expect them to be. So we don't seem to be moving anywhere towards a balanced budget."

Goertzen also says Manitobans should not buy the NDP pitch that all of the highway construction going on in the province this year is thanks to the one per cent increase in the Provincial Sales Tax last year.

"Manitobans need to look around at what's happening in other jurisdictions. We've seen other provinces that have participated in road work projects, jointly with the federal government and other levels of government, and not have to raise taxes at the level that the NDP have. So it's about priorities and smart spending. When you're not tendering contracts or you're doing things poorly and have to repair things, like the (football) stadium after it's only been open a couple of years, it's not smart spending."

Goertzen says approval of the budget was the biggest item of of the last Session of the Legislature which ended Thursday. But he says one other piece of legislation drew considerable discussion and that one will see electronic cigarettes banned in indoor public places except for the stores that sell the product.

"That's an emerging issue and something that all jurisdictions are trying to get a handle on, the balance between what benefit it might have for trying to reduce smoking for people, but also that it might, in some ways for young people, be an on ramp for that kind of activity. That one generated the most activity in terms of presentations but it was a pretty light legislative session."

Other new laws that were approved include one that requires veterinarians to provide up front estimates and one that gives new power to the province's children's advocate. The Legislature is now on a one week break before a speech from the throne next Monday will open a new session.