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TORONTO – It is a budget focusing on massive investments in health, in infrastructure and a slightly lower budget deficit that the Ford government presented on Wednesday. The province plans to invest $ 51 billion over the next four years, including $ 16.3 billion in health and $ 23.3 billion in the economy.
The government is forecasting a deficit of $ 33.1 billion for the next fiscal year, down from the $ 38.5 billion disclosed in the last budget presentation last November.
This budget reflects the current portrait of the province with the vaccination campaign and the battle against COVID-19. Ontario wants to invest $ 1 billion in its vaccination campaign and a little more than double to improve screening in the workplace.
For economist Dominique Lapointe, this is a budget that takes into account the fact that the portrait of the pandemic could quickly change or that there would be a third wave.
“There is a lot of caution that is put in in case we need to spend more, like a $ 2 billion reserve for this year. It remains the second budget of the pandemic and not necessarily an economic recovery budget. We are still in the virus so it would be too ambitious to say: we are going to put in place a program that will take us elsewhere as a province. “
This budget, the very first for the new Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy, provides for a return to balanced budgets within the next ten years.
“The long-term budget is really big, but right now job number one is protecting the health of Ontarians and we haven’t finished that yet,” admits Bethlenfalvy.
The share of the health pie
This budget is the sign of massive investments in the health system with 37.5% of the total budget of the province. The government is investing $ 650 million this year in long-term care homes. The Ford government is adding an additional $ 993 million to total $ 2.4 billion over four years to increase capacity in long-term care homes.
The province plans not only to build, but also to increase capacity by providing $ 5.1 billion for the creation of 3,100 hospital beds in Ontario. The Ford government is also setting aside $ 30 billion over the next ten years to build and modernize hospital infrastructure.
“Health is quite impressive, because we go beyond spending just for the virus. Yes there are expenses for vaccination and for protective equipment, but there is a long term investment. For example, 5.1 billion for 3,100 hospital beds, it will stay. With or without a pandemic, it’s something good to have for the long term, ”explains Mr. Lapointe.
Internet everywhere in Ontario by 2024
The province plans to inject just over 146 billion dollars over the next 10 years, including 16.9 in the next year for infrastructure. For public transit, nearly $ 61.1 billion is forecast over the next 10 years for various projects, including a 50% expansion of the GTA.
The province is injecting $ 21 billion over 10 years for provincial highway infrastructure projects such as an expansion of Highway 400. The government also plans to provide Internet for all regions of the province by 2024, with an investment of 2.8 billion dollars.
A “shocking” budget for Horwath
For Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath, this budget “steals the hope that Ontarians had in this budget”. She says if that had been her budget, she would have invested in hiring education staff and long-term care homes.
“It is shocking that this government has forgotten about long term care. After all the horror stories we heard in the first wave and even worse in the second wave, it is more than shocking that there is nothing in this budget that talks about long term care. If that had been my budget, I would have made the major investments. It makes no sense to just invest in major projects for the construction of homes, ”laments the leader of the Ontario Democratic Party.
In the Ontario Liberal Party, Leader Steven Del Duca welcomes investments in health, but does not believe that this budget meets the current challenges of the pandemic.
“Doug Ford has decided that the pandemic is already behind him. He abandoned the families who are still suffering. This budget does nothing for the women and thousands of people of color who have been hit hard by the pandemic and who are struggling to get food to the table. This budget does nothing for families with parents in long-term care homes, and does nothing to transform the care they receive. “
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