We’ve maintained base funding for libraries at $25 million. Despite this, we were disappointed by the decisions of library services organizations to discontinue their respective delivery methods of the inter-library loan program. Considering the fiscal state that the province is in, we expect our partners to make every effort to deliver modern and efficient services — in this case, by sharing resources digitally or using mail and courier services to share hard copy books.
We are winding down government funding for a tree-planting program to ensure we can redirect taxpayer dollars to what matters most. In this example, we look to the private sector that already plants about 68 million trees a year to continue their important work.
Or here’s another one: our government will no longer fund growing administrative costs for municipalities, preferring to put money back into the hands of families. Our CARE tax credit, for example, will provide about 300,000 families with up to 75 per cent of their eligible child care expenses, and allow families to access a broad range of child care options, including care in centres, homes and camps.
Our health and education investment this year includes a $1.6 billion commitment to protect teacher jobs while boards take a few years to align high school class sizes with other jurisdictions in Canada. Let me be crystal clear: we’re laying off exactly zero teachers as a result of our class size and e-learning strategies.
We’ve made adjustments so we can responsibly make the largest investments in health care and education in our province’s history this year, while moving toward budgetary balance. In contrast, in the final year of the Liberal government, overall spending increased by more than 8 per cent at a time when GDP growth was half of that.
This is what responsibility, fiscal balance, and protecting what matters most looks like. This is what Premier Ford and our Progressive Conservative team were elected to do.
And not a moment too soon.
Before politics I worked in finance, and I specialized in understanding government debt. It’s an issue that’s close to my heart.
During the Second World War, my mother escaped Hungary and came to Ontario, while my godmother fled to Venezuela. Successive governments in Venezuela have repeatedly chosen to ignore financial warnings – the country is now on the brink of bankruptcy. My godmother’s pension today is almost worthless.
Make no mistake, that was the path Ontario was on. But like the fable of the boiling frog – who doesn’t know it’s being slowly boiled until it’s all over – financial catastrophes happen in slow motion.
Ontario deserves a better, brighter future. That’s what we’re building – without apology, and with tremendous care.
We’re going to keep building a sustainable and prosperous Ontario for this generation and for future generations.
Originally published in the Toronto Star.
