Provincial budget talks were a hot topic in Medicine Hat. Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci was in the Gas City yesterday and met not only with Mayor Ted Clugston and city council, he also met with the Chamber of commerce members as well as the not-for profit sector. Ceci has been on a tour of the province for nearly 2 months and says by this time next month, the budget will show an investment strategy for infrastructure and will provide a pathway to balancing out the budget in the out years. Ceci said it will also show ways the province will diversify so as not to be as reliant on volatile energy prices.