The McNeil government will be returning to their seats in the legislature on April 14, the latest start to the spring sitting since at least 1994.

Last year's spring sitting started on March 26. The second latest start was on April 12, 1994, according to the Hansard website.

So far a budget date hasn't been set but it typically follows shortly after the start of the sitting. In 2015, the budget was tabled on April 9, two weeks after ministers returned.

Finance Minister Randy Delorey is giving a pre-budget speech to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce on March 30. At last year's pre-budget speech, then finance minister Diana Whalen signalled the government might slash the film tax credit, and made good on that with the spring budget.

The late start means the federal budget will already be tabled, which likely means the province will have a clearer idea of how much money it could access through Ottawa's infrastructure program by the time the Liberals table Nova Scotia's budget.