Voters in Ontario went to the polls just over two months ago with the threat of extensive economic fallout from American tariffs decimating the province’s economy as the ballot question. Premier Doug Ford was re-elected with a majority government and a new mandate; however the budget tabled at Queen’s Park fails to live up to the hype or urgency that was proclaimed.
The budget, which Finance Minister Peter Bethlynfalvy said reflected the government’s vision, is a letdown in terms if big ideas designed to help the province’s economy weather U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff storm. In fact, it does little in Ontario except to reinforce the Progressive Conservative government’s focus on bricks and mortar, rather than the people needed to provide real services.
The capital plan put forward looks much like previous capital plans, except the word “ambitious” has been inserted in the odd place. Infrastructure spending is up again, building more roads and buildings. Spending is also up in public transit, and in building new schools and daycare spaces. But there is little focus on the real needs, and little growth in spending on essentials.
Education spending is up 6.7 per cent from 2024-25. Much of that spending increase is on capital building projects. Colleges and Universities are already struggling and many are experiencing severe cut backs. Schools see a decrease in spending by 8.8 per cent overall, with base funding to schools decreasing by 7.2 per cent and Student Assistance funding decreasing by 19.4 per cent. In an economy where the province needs more trades, and the college system provides that education base, Ontario is spending less – not more.
Long-Term Care spending is rising seven per cent from last year, but much of these increases again are due to capital construction projects, not the people providing actual services to the residents in those facilities. Health care spending is also up, but only barely – 1.5 per cent which is less than the national and provincial inflation rates of 2.3 per cent. Once a one-time retroactive payment from last year is factored in, the provincial spending on health care is flat. In either case, spending increases that are less than the inflation rate is in-fact a cut because the government is not keeping up with inflationary increases in its spending, removing the funds necessary to maintain existing service levels.
Now to the protectionist spending. There are no grand projects or visions. There are subsidies to attract new businesses or maintain existing ones. There is infrastructure spending, but not out of the ordinary for this government. There certainly is not a visionary grand plan in this budget that measures up to the bombast and impetus of having a provincial election in February. A $1 billion worker protection fund is something that Ford could have passed with the 16 months remaining in his previous term.
When Ford called the snap election, he said the province was at a crossroads, that the threat of American tariffs required immediate action, and needed a steady-hand at the tiller while the province navigates through these tough times. What we see from this budget is more of what has been seen since 2018 from Premier Ford – the same old, same old. This budget fails to live up to the Premier’s hype.
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