With this first budget truly its own, the NDP government is finally setting sail in earnest after nearly a year of preparation, delays and mishaps. It's heading into very rough seas, but in one essential way this ship is better prepared than previous ones for the voyage.

It has to do with the crew. I don't know if I dare say outright that it's more motivated, but it's certainly less prone to mutiny. The budget has announced a 10 per cent cut in the civil service over the next four years and has scaled back public sector pensions -- and no angry demonstrations in front of the legislature! If it stays that way, this is a noteworthy political feat.

This week's byelection results are another signal of how deeply things have changed in Nova Scotia. Not only is the NDP still gaining, but this run -- totally opposite to our political customs -- would have been nearly unthinkable a short while ago. Let's repeat the election night question: What's going on?

The NDP wins yet another victory in virgin territory, Antigonish, and ends up competitive even in the former Tory premier's riding of Inverness. Reasons evoked include the notion that many voters simply wanted to get on the government bandwagon, and that the relentless work of motivated New Democrats, like Antigonish's third-time candidate Maurice Smith, finally bore fruit.