安省大选: 自由党政府2018财政预算

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Ontario budget 2018
Liberals' $11B pledge for high speed rail highlights long list of major infrastructure promises

The Ontario Liberals have earmarked $11 billion towards the construction of Canada’s first high speed rail line, which would connect Toronto to Windsor. The project is among a suite of infrastructure spending being touted as Ontario’s “legacy for future generations.”

Spending plan also includes new money for hospitals, schools, broadband internet
Nick Boisvert · CBC News · Posted: Mar 28, 2018 4:40 PM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

High speed trains at a maintenance station in Wuhan, China. The Liberal government wants to bring similar 200 km/h trains to Ontario. (The Associated Press)

The Liberal government is committing $182 billion to infrastructure projects over the next 10 years, including a major pledge towards the construction of Canada's first high speed rail line.

The 2018 pre-election budget is promising an $11 billion "initial investment" to support construction of the long-discussed high speed rail connection that would link Toronto to Windsor, reducing travel times by as much as 60 per cent.

• Ontario Liberals bet big on seniors' care, drug and dental coverage in 2018 pre-election budget
• Don't have health benefits? The Ontario Liberals promise you will

The funding is likely contingent on the Wynne government winning the June election and implementing the budget.

The proposed high speed line would include seven stops: Windsor, Chatham, London, Kitchener, Guelph and Toronto's Union Station, with a connection to Pearson International Airport.

However, Ontario has not yet determined a price tag or timeline for the project, so it remains unclear how much of the line could be built with $11 billion, and when it might be operational.

• High speed rail in Ontario closer to taking off with new advisory group

The line is planned to open with a connection from Toronto to London, with the second phase reaching Windsor to be built sometime after.

The high speed line is projected to contribute "over" $20 billion in economic benefits to Ontario annually, according to the Ministry of Finance.

While the Liberals have focused on the expansions to social services included in the budget, Finance Minister Charles Sousa says the long-term commitments to infrastructure will benefit young Ontarians as well.

"These are important things for them too," Sousa said. "That is the legacy we leave for future generations, making them more competitive."

The total suite of infrastructure investments is forecast to support around 140,000 jobs per year.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa says the infrastructure spending will support 140,000 jobs annually. (John Rieti/CBC)

Transit and transportation
Under the new budget, the province's total commitment to transit would rise to $79 billion in 2018-19, up from $56 billion last year.

In addition to high speed rail funding, the province is also promising $8.3 billion towards public transit infrastructure in the upcoming fiscal year.

Specific recipients of that funding have not been finalized, but contenders are expected to include Toronto's relief line and Yonge North subways; Toronto's Waterfront transit network; Durham's rapid bus transit; Mississauga's rapid transit along Dundas Street; and Brampton's rapid transit along Queen Street.

The Wynne government would also invest $25 billion over 10 years to improve Ontario's highways if the budget is passed following the election.

'A good budget for the city of Toronto'
Mayor John Tory said: "In overall terms, a good budget for the city of Toronto."

He applauded the province's transit funding pledge, as well as a transit integration "game-changer."

"I've had numerous conversations with Premiere Wynne and her ministers about the need to integrate regional and local transit systems under one fare so that riders are able to go to work and to school and back home again conveniently, efficiently and affordably ," Tory said.

"I'm deeply gratified that Premiere Wynne listened and, under the plan in the budget, transit users in the 416 will soon be able to get on GO Transit and, eventually, SmartTrack for a TTC fare," he added.

Tory also applauded funding commitments to mental health and housing.

Hospitals and schools
The budget also includes a 10 year, $19 billion commitment towards infrastructure projects at a variety of hospitals around the province.

The money will fund the redevelopment of Ottawa Hospital's civic campus; an expansion of the emergency department at South Bruce Grey Health Centre; and the redevelopment of Lakeridge Health's Bowmanville site.

Other recipients include Sick Kids, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Scarborough and Rouge Hospital, and North York General Hospital.

The 2018 budget promises $19 billion to fund infrastructure projects at seven Ontario hospitals over the next decade. (CBC)

While specific projects have been identified at each of the hospitals, the Liberals have not stipulated exactly how much each organization will receive over the next decade.

Another $16 billion of capital grants has been pledged to public education, including the construction of new schools and additional renovations.

A half-billion for digital infrastructure
The Liberals are also promising to expand broadband internet connectivity in Northern Ontario and rural communities with a $500 million investment over the next three years.

That includes $71 million to improve cellular service in eastern Ontario and $20 million to support a "low earth orbit" satellite, which would beam down internet services to rural and remote parts of the province.

 

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Ontario budget highlights: Key facts and figures you need to know
Ontario’s Liberal government revealed its latest budget on Wednesday that includes billions in new spending on a wide range of issues.
Liberals reveal a tax hike for some and a break for others, plus billions for hospitals and schools
CBC News · Posted: Mar 28, 2018 5:43 PM ET | Last Updated: 41 minutes ago

Ontario's Finance Minister Charles Sousa unveiled a budget featuring billions in new spending on Wednesday. (John Rieti/CBC)
Ontario's Liberal government revealed its latest budget on Wednesday that includes billions in new spending on a wide range of issues.

The government already made several high-profile announcements in recent days, including $2.2 billion to make preschool free for children aged 2-and-a-half years to four, $575 million for free prescription drugs for seniors, and a total of $2.1 billion to expand mental health services.

• Ontario Budget 2018
  Ontario Liberals bet voters won't sweat deficits in big spending pre-election budget

• Ontario Budget 2018
  Are you 1 in 4 Ontarians without health benefits? The Liberals want to change that

• Ontario budget 2018
  Liberals' $11B pledge for high speed rail highlights long list of major infrastructure promises

Here are the key commitments from the 308-page budget, many of which will only become a reality if the Liberal government is re-elected in the spring election:

• A new drug and dental plan for 4.1 million Ontarians without workplace benefits, regardless of income, that pays up to 80 per cent of expenses to a maximum of $400 for a single person, $600 per couple and $50 per child in a family of four with two kids.
• A Seniors' Healthy Home Program that would provide $750 per year to eligible households to help those 75 and older maintain their home.

Many of the new spending measures will only take affect if the Liberals win re-election. (Mike Crawley/CBC)

• $300 million to hire a registered nurse in every long-term care facility in Ontario.
• 3 per cent increase in rates for those living on Ontario Works the Ontario Disability Support Program.
• $5,000 annually for 47,000 eligible Ontarians living with disabilities to access care and services.
• $11 billion to begin work on a high-speed rail line from Toronto to Windsor, Ont. The government is starting with the Toronto to London, Ont., connection.
• $534 million to create 10,000 additional child care spaces in schools and 4,000 spaces in community centres.

The price of smokes is going up. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

• Those earning $71,500 or more annually — approximately 1.8 million people — would see a personal income tax increase. It's on a sliding scale, so someone earning $95,000 would pay an extra $168 in tax. However, some 680,000 people would pay less personal income tax.
• $19 billion for hospital infrastructure and operations over the next decade. That includes $2.4 billion for redevelopment of Toronto's SickKids hospital, and a $1.8 billion project at the Ottawa Hospital.
• $16 billion in capital grants to build new schools or improve existing ones.
• Increase in OSAP awards for students from low-income families (those who make less than $90,000 a year) and for Indigenous students. Tuition is free for those earning up to $90,000.
• The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, a subsidiary of the LCBO, is projected to lose $40 million in its first full year of operation. By the 2020-21 fiscal year, it's expected to bring in a net income of $100 million.
• $4 dollar increase in the price of a carton of cigarettes. The change goes into effect at midnight.
• GO Transit and UP Express trips within Toronto will be $3 for Presto users. GO Transit trips under 10 kilometres long will also be $3 across the entire GTHA.

GO Transit users are catching a break on some trips. (CBC News)

 

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Ontario Budget 2018
Don't have health benefits? The Ontario Liberals promise you will
Ontarians without workplace health benefits will be able to recoup hundreds in drug and dental costs beginning in the summer of 2019 if the Ontario Liberals are reelected in June.
More than 4 million people stand to benefit from the plan – if the Liberals are reelected
CBC News · Posted: Mar 28, 2018 4:24 PM ET | Last Updated: an hour ago

Ontarians without workplace health benefits will be able to recoup hundreds in drug and dental costs beginning in the summer of 2019 if the Ontario Liberals are reelected in June. (Shutterstock/funnyangel)


Ontarians without workplace health benefits will be able to recoup hundreds in drug and dental costs beginning in the summer of 2019 if the Ontario Liberals are reelected in June.

The Ontario Drug and Dental Program (ODDP), unveiled as part of the provincial government's annual budget Wednesday, is targeted toward the one in four working-age Ontarians who don't currently have access to benefits, including freelancers, temporary employees and those working multiple jobs.

• Ontario Budget 2018
  Ontario budget highlights: Key facts and figures you need to know

• Ontario Budget 2018
  Ontario Liberals bet voters won't sweat deficits in big spending pre-election budget

If approved, the province says 4.1 million people would benefit from the program at a cost of $800 million over the first two years.

Here's how it works.

An individual would pay up-front for their eligible expense, and the program would reimburse up to 80 per cent of the cost to a yearly maximum of:

• $400 for singles.
• $600 for couples.
• $50 for each child in a family.

Families could choose to pool their money and determine how best to allocate it.

Details have yet to be worked out
Let's say you're a couple with three children. In that scenario, you're eligible to receive up to $750. That means if you happen to need some extensive dental work like a root canal, you could allocate all or as much of the money as you decide toward the procedure.

If approved, the province says 4.1 million people would benefit from the program at a cost of $800 million over the first two years. (CBC)

Seniors would qualify only for dental benefits. The Liberals say that's because their prescription costs would already be covered through the government's expanded OHIP+ program, announced this week, which will make prescription drugs available to those 65 and up beginning August 2019.

The government estimates that approximately 60 per cent of seniors do not have a plan that covers dental.

It's unclear whether the program would extend to those on social assistance or receiving disability payments. Further details have yet to be worked out, the government says.

Camille Orridge, a retired senior, pays out of pocket every time she sits in the dentist's chair.

"Lots of poor people who don't have pensions, who are aging, need dental care," she said. "No dental care, especially if you are a senior, means you don't eat well and you suffer."

Like Orridge, every visit to the dentist takes a bite out of Inder Singh's wallet. The Toronto local just started a job in the city's downtown core and is counting the days till his workplace benefits kick in.

Still, he isn't convinced this budget promise is much more than a campaign strategy.

"Somebody has to pay," he said. "It's taxes that the government use and ultimately who pays the taxes?"

Singh acknowledges that the benefit can be a big help to struggling families but wants the government to ensure its a fair system for everyone.

Move follows NDP's pledge for universal care
At first glance, it seems couples with children win out over single parents under the program. For example, a single parent with three children would be eligible for just $550 — $200 less than a couple with children.

The province says children are offered less because of programs that already cover them, including OHIP+ which already provides free prescription drugs to those under the age of 25. That change, introduced in the 2017 provincial budget, took effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

• Speech from the throne promises big — and hints at election-defining debates to come

Children in low-income families have had also access to preventative dental care through Ontario's program since 2016.

Wednesday's announcement comes less than two weeks after Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath pledged full dental coverage as part of a universal health care plan, branded "Ontario Benefits."

Wednesday’s announcement comes less than two weeks after Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath pledged full dental coverage as part of a universal health care plan, branded “Ontario Benefits.” (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Asked for her thoughts on the plan Wednesday, Horwath slammed Wynne's program as "meagre", saying it didn't go far enough and added it was more about "hype and headlines" than "substantive change."

'If it sounds too good to be true...'
Fifty dollars per child, the NDP argues, barely covers the cost of a single dental check-up or filling a cavity.

Asked about the price-tag for her plan, Horwath only would say that a "fully-costed" platform will be unveiled in a few weeks' time but that the wealthiest bracket of Ontarians will be asked to "pay their fair share."

Horwath also rejected the characterization of the Liberal budget as "left," saying it merely "left people out."

The government has meanwhile dubbed its budget "a plan for care and opportunity."

Asked Wednesday how the Liberal government's program holds up against the NDP's, Finance Minister Charles Sousa told CBC News he hadn't seen how that plan had been costed but after moving to provide free pharmacare to those under 25 and the elderly, the new plan focuses on those "in between."

"It's an important step," said Sousa. "More importantly than that, it's also enabling us to have a national discussion. We do need to have this discussion to fill in the gaps of universal care across Canada. We're going to make Ontarians better off. We want to encourage the rest of Canada to take a look at it as well."

But LouAnn Visconti, president of the Ontario Dental Association, questions the Liberals' ability to see their promise through.

"Access to dental care is always great but if you don't have a commitment on the part of the government to fund programs that they've had in place for a few decades now, what's going to come of these new programs?" she said.

Funding for dental programs hasn't kept up with demand since the government took over the administration of those programs in the 1990's, Visconti claims.

For the Ontario Provincial Conservatives part, party leader Doug Ford didn't comment on the health benefits plan directly but reiterated claims he made in the days leading up to the budget, saying Wynne's "cheques are going to bounce."

"People know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

 

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Ontario Budget 2018
Ontario Liberals bet big on seniors' care, drug and dental coverage in 2018 pre-election budget
Ontario’s Liberals will plunge back into the red for at least the next six years to fund an array of big-ticket commitments outlined in the government’s pre-election budget on Wednesday.

Pledges $20.3 billion in new spending over 3 years, and deficits too
Lucas Powers · CBC News · Posted: Mar 28, 2018 4:21 PM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's government is projecting deficits until 2025 after finally balancing the budget last year. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

Ontario's Liberals will plunge back into the red for at least the next six years to fund an array of big-ticket commitments outlined in the government's pre-election budget on Wednesday.

The Liberals already unveiled a number of priority items in a series of commitments in the run-up to budget day, including major investments in healthcare, pharmacare and $2.2 billion over three years for free licensed daycare for preschool-aged children.

The primary themes of the 308-page, $158.5-billion budget were telegraphed in a throne speech last week that included the word "care," or some variation of it, upward of 50 times. It was clear that the budget would include substantial spending after Finance Minister Charles Sousa admitted the province would return to deficit to pay for it all, after running a $600 million surplus this year.

However, nearly all of that spending won't go into effect until 2019 or later.

• Ontario Budget 2018
  Ontario budget highlights: Key facts and figures you need to know

• Ontario budget 2018
  Liberals' $11B pledge for high speed rail highlights long list of major infrastructure promises

• Ontario Budget 2018
  Are you 1 in 4 Ontarians without health benefits? The Liberals want to change that

"We balanced the budget and we have a surplus. Now we have a choice," Sousa said to reporters.

"People are saying, 'We still need more support.' So we made a choice to provide more supports."

Despite Premier Kathleen Wynne's recent flurry of announcements, there were a number of surprises revealed on Wednesday, many of them geared toward the elderly and affordability.

The budget includes billions in funding for seniors, including a $750 yearly benefit for those 75 and over who still live at home. The Healthy Home Program will cost $1 billion over three years. Another $650 million will go toward boosting the number of visits by caregivers to clients' homes.

For seniors in long-term care facilities, the Liberals plan to spend $300 million over three years to hire a registered nurse in every site in Ontario and provide an average of four hours of personal daily care for each resident by 2022.

The Liberals also plan to introduce a program to help cover costs of pharmaceutical drugs and dental care for Ontarians without workplace benefits, regardless of income or pre-existing OHIP+ coverage.

Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa applaud as the Liberals deliver their 2018 budget at the Ontario Legislature. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

The Ontario Drug and Dental Program will reimburse 80 per cent of eligible drugs and dental expenses, up to a maximum of $400 for a single person, $600 per couple or up to $700 for a family of four with two children, or $50 per child.

Wynne already committed to expanding the existing OHIP+ program to cover prescription drug costs for seniors 65 and over, a promise with a $575 million price tag.

Changes to social assistance
The Liberal budget also allots new funding for the province's vulnerable, including the largest increase in social assistance payments in more than a decade. Those who depend on Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program will see a three per cent increase in rates in each of the next three years, with the first increase set for the fall.

Meanwhile, the threshold for income that can be earned per month without affecting welfare payments will increase from $200 to $400 per month.

• Ontario Liberal budget to include free daycare for preschool children

Some 47,000 eligible Ontarians living with developmental disabilities will receive $5,000 annually to access necessary services and supports.

Furthermore, 350 community agencies will get a $203 million injection of new money to ensure their capacity to provide care. The promises amount to $1.8 billion in new spending.

Out of the black, into the red
In all, the 2018 budget outlines $20.3 billion in new spending over three years that will put the province back into deficit after finally balancing the books last year.

Sousa, who has frequently remarked that the Liberals have "slayed the deficit," confirmed that Ontario would not return to black ink until 2025 should the budget be implemented after the June 7 election.

Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford said he was surprised Wynne isn't promising every voter a new car in the 2018 budget. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Sousa said the Liberals used a cautious GDP growth projection of two per cent annually and built-in contingencies to "temper" any unforeseen economic shocks and counter U.S. protectionism. He added that a "tremendous amount of prudence" has gone into the plan to eventually return to a balanced budget.

Despite the substantial spending that forms the backbone of the budget, 83 per cent of Ontarians will see no increase in personal income tax. Some 1.8 million people making $71,500 or more will pay more income tax, on average, according to Sousa, while about 680,000 people will pay less.

'Taxed to death'
The budget drew criticism from the opposition parties.

"God help us. We've seen this show before many times," Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford told reporters, adding that residents in the province "are being taxed to death" and soon the Liberals will be giving away free cars to voters.

He's promised to slash four per cent of spending from the province's budget should his party form government.

"The Liberals think they can buy your vote, and your vote is for sale. They proved it in this budget," he continued.

"People know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called the budget "meager" and that it "would not undo the damage done by the Liberals.

"The Liberals have had 15 years and instead of helping, they've only made things worse," she said, describing the budget as Wynne's "desperate" last-minute pitch to voters before the election.

Horwath said a fully costed NDP plan will better address hospital wait times, healthcare costs, housing affordability and income inequality without raising taxes on low and middle-income earners.

When pressed by reporters, Sousa said the decision to run deficits was not influenced by the looming June 7 election.

"This is not election-cycle decisions that we're making, these are long-term in scope and they're building upon decisions we have been making all along," he said.

"The responsibility we as government have is to what happens going forward ... This is about protecting people and ensuring that people are better off."

Bonuses for business
Apart from new spending on healthcare and social services, there are several initiatives aimed at youth, namely $411 million that will be used to fund a new apprenticeship program for high school students and to increase the number of Ontario students graduating from university with a degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by 25 per cent.

For businesses, the budget promises $900 million over 10 years to expand the Jobs and Prosperity Fund (JPF). According to the budget document, the investment will help create and sustain 70,000 new jobs and "leverage" $9 billion in private investments.

"The JPF will also provide Ontario with the flexibility to take further action to support businesses and workers and sectors of the economy that may be impacted by an uncertain and rapidly changing global environment," the budget reads.

Big money for high-speed rail
The Liberal budget also includes a notable increase in money for public transit infrastructure, allotting $79 billion to various projects — up from $55 billion in the 2017 budget.

Some $11 billion of that will go toward to constructing a high-speed rail network connecting Toronto to Windsor. The government has been musing about the project for years, however this is the first time a specific figure has been revealed.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the budget doesn't go far enough to address income inequality and gaps in social services. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

The money will go toward building the first phase of the network from Toronto to London, however few details were available about how much of phase one can actually be completed with that sum.

Much of the remainder of the additional transit spending will be used to integrate municipal services to create functioning regional networks.

Long list of promises
The Liberals announced what is arguably the budget's biggest-ticket item earlier this week: free daycare for preschool-aged children starting in 2020. The $2.2 billion investment would also boost funding across the licensed daycare system, increase child care services on reserves and raise wages for daycare employees.

The budget provided more insight into the proposal, including that an additional $534 million will be spent to create 10,000 additional child care spaces in schools and 4,000 spaces in community centres.

Other commitments unveiled before Wednesday's budget include:

• $822 million to improve care and infrastructure in Ontario's hospitals, the largest annual increase in more than a decade.
• $2.1 billion over four years for improved mental health services.
• $300 million to improve special needs education in Ontario.

 

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Explainer
Ontario 2018 budget highlights: Ten things you need to know
Matt Lundy and Tom Cardoso
Published March 28, 2018Updated 2 hours ago

Ontario's Premier Kathleen Wynne sits next to Finance Minister Charles Sousa as the provincial government delivers its 2018 Budget, at the Queens Park Legislature in Toronto, on March 28, 2018.

The Ontario Liberals are on a radically different fiscal path.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa tabled a budget Wednesday that includes billions of dollars in new spending and a $6.7-billion deficit – the first of six consecutive shortfalls, according to the government’s new fiscal road map. With her party languishing in the polls, Premier Kathleen Wynne is abandoning a balanced-budget pledge and spending big ahead of June’s election.

Many of the government’s centrepiece policies – notably, a plan to provide fully government-funded child-care to preschoolers – were announced in the days leading up to the budget. But the document still includes several new proposals, including a change to personal income tax brackets.

Here are 10 things you need to know about the Ontario budget.

After a single year in the black, Ontario is heading back into a deficit. Should the Liberals be re-elected, it would stay that way for the foreseeable future. The government has tabled a $6.7-billion shortfall for fiscal 2018-19 and projects a return to balance by 2024-25 – beyond the next four-year election cycle.

Despite the province’s solid economic footing, its debt burden is set to increase in the coming years. The net debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to finish the current fiscal year at 37.1 per cent, slightly better than forecast in the government’s fall update. But over the next three fiscal years it is set to rise, reaching 38.6 per cent in 2020-21 – within a percentage point of a peak reached in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. In total figures, net debt is projected to hit $325-billion in the fiscal year 2018-19. The Liberals had previously targeted reducing the debt ratio to prerecession levels by 2029-30.

In a move that would affect millions of Ontarians, the government is proposing to simplify personal income tax brackets and eliminate Ontario’s personal income surtax. Under the current rules, a person earning $95,000 in Ontario pays $6,946, or 7.31 per cent, in taxes. Under the simplified brackets, they would pay $7,114, or 7.49 per cent, an increase of $168 a year.

The changes would come into effect July 1 and affect almost 2.5 million people. An estimated 1.8 million taxpayers would pay an additional $200 a year, on average, while another 680,000 would see their taxes reduced by an average of $130. The changes would generate an additional $275-million for the province in 2018-19, growing to $295-million by 2020-21.

Starting in the fall of 2020, licensed child-care would be fully government-funded for preschoolers from the age of 2½ until kindergarten. As announced Tuesday, the plan would cost $2.2-billion over three years. The government says the average Ontario family with a preschool-age child could save more than $17,000.

The government is proposing a new drug and dental program for those without extended health coverage. Starting in the summer of 2019, it would cover as much as 80 per cent of eligible prescription drug and dental expenses each year, to a maximum of $400 for a single person, $600 per couple and $700 for a family of four with two children. The program would cost $800-million over three years.

Separately, in the days preceding the budget, the government announced an expansion to its OHIP-plus pharmacare program. The program currently allows eligible children and youth 24 and under to get free prescription drugs. As of Aug. 1, 2019, those benefits would be extended to seniors.

Seniors
The Liberals unveiled a new program that would help seniors offset the costs of household maintenance. Costing $1-billion over three years, the program would provide a benefit of as much as $750 per year for eligible households led by a senior 75 or older. It would go into effect sometime in fiscal year 2019-20. Details of the program – notably, the expenses that would be allowed – are forthcoming.

The province has promised $547-million over five years for repairs and retrofits to affordable and social housing stock. The retrofits will focus on energy efficiency, making the housing stock more sustainable and improving living conditions. Ontario has also pledged roughly $200-million over three years as the provincial share of the recently announced federal national housing strategy. The investment includes funds for an affordable housing benefit, repairs to existing units and construction of new housing units.

Broadband
The government is investing $500-million over three years in a bid to enhance broadband in northern and rural communities. Included in the commitment are specific investments aimed at improving Eastern Ontario’s cellular coverage and funds to support the development of a satellite network that will provide internet access to remote communities.

As a response to a Globe and Mail investigation into securities fraud, in late December Ms. Wynne vowed to examine what could be done to curb problems in securities enforcement. The budget proposes a series of new tools that would enhance the powers of the Ontario Securities Commission, the province’s capital markets regulator. The government would create new offence categories for people and companies found to be in breach of existing sanctions. The OSC would also have the ability to automatically reciprocate certain sanctions imposed by other Canadian securities regulators, and the regulator would streamline both the administrative penalty process for first-time violators and information-sharing processes with other regulators.

The Globe investigation into the state of securities law enforcement in Canada revealed a system that allowed convicted fraudsters to reoffend with relatively few repercussions. The amount of unpaid fines for securities crimes in Canada had surpassed $1.1-billion.

Story continues below advertisement


Transit
The budget promised a fare reduction to $3 for GO transit trips of less than 10 kilometres. These fare reductions would apply to all GO trips within the city of Toronto, potentially saving riders hundreds of dollars a year. The province will also kick off discussions on whether the City of Toronto should upload the ownership of subway lines to the province.

· Cannabis: The budget includes government forecasts on cannabis revenue. By 2021, the province expects to be making $215-million a year from sales through the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation and a portion of federal taxes.

· The Sears effect: Ontario is moving to further secure pensions in cases of corporate failure, a response to the plight of Sears employees who have been denied pension income as a result of the company’s insolvency. The government would apply higher pension guarantees retroactively to plans with a wind-up date on or after May 19, 2017. The government is also instituting reporting policies to increase transparency in cases of “significant asset stripping” or “the issuance of extraordinary dividends.”

· Credit reports: In a nod to last year’s Equifax data breach, in which credit histories for thousands of Canadians were stolen, the government will make online access to credit scores free twice a year. They’ll also require agencies to implement credit freezes when asked and will require agencies to disclose which third parties have accessed a consumer’s score in the past 12 months.

Some other spending was announced in the lead-up to budget day, including:

· The province would increase hospital funding by $822-million in the coming fiscal year to help reduce wait times, among other issues.

· The budget commits an additional $2.1-billion over four years to mental health and addictions services funding.

 

[金陵]

别到时候多收了税不干事，还是下台吧，该换个党试试了。

 

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By Robert Benzie　Queen's Park Bureau Chief
Wed., March 28, 2018

Ontario’s Liberal government is borrowing billions to bankroll new pre-election budget spending aimed at seniors and young families.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa — who finally balanced the books last year when he promised surpluses for the foreseeable future — said Wednesday that Queen’s Park will run a $6.7-billion deficit in 2018-19.

“We slayed the deficit … but make no mistake … balancing the budget is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end and the end is a stronger Ontario,” Sousa told the Legislature as he defended a return to shortfalls.

Sousa’s record $158.5-billion budget — with a new $2.2-billion program of free child care for preschoolers, dental benefits for those without coverage, and $750 annually for seniors to pay for house maintenance — was tabled six weeks before the official launch of the June 7 election.

“We must work to ensure that opportunity reaches everyone — women, students, seniors — and those who are in precarious work, toiling away in the gig economy,” the treasurer said, signalling “fairness, caring, and opportunity” is the Liberals’ re-election mantra.

“Good public and social policy must also be sound economic policy, and that is what makes it sustainable,” said Sousa, who does not forecast the books to be back in black until 2024-25.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa walk to the chamber to present the Liberal’s budget at Queen's Park in Toronto on March 28, 2018. (Steve Russell / Toronto Star)

Read more:

Winners and losers from the 2018 Ontario budget

Highlights from the 2018 Ontario budget

Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Ontario budget delivers most ambitious pre-election blueprint in recent memory — at a huge cost

By that time, Ontario’s net debt — already the largest of any subnational jurisdiction in the world at $325 billion — is expected to be $400 billion.

Public opinion polls have suggested the Liberals, who have held power since October 2003, are on borrowed time and rookie Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is poised to win power.

Ford, who has vowed to slash 4 per cent in government spending by making unspecified cuts, panned the budget as Premier Kathleen Wynne “trying to buy your vote” with the public’s money.

“I’m surprised that the finance minister and the premier aren’t up here saying, ‘We’re giving away free cars, we’re going to pay your mortgage — you get a free car, you get a free car, you get a free car.’ That’s next on their agenda,” he said.

But Ford repeatedly declined to say what services or programs he would chop, though he joked that he would reduce the CBC’s public funding if he could.

“Just imagine what Kathleen Wynne will do if she’s every re-elected. God help us,” said Ford, who was elected March 10 to replace Patrick Brown.

When pressed, Ford said the Tories would unveil an election platform in the coming weeks.

“Our goal is always to have a balanced budget. There’s hundreds and hundreds of programs throughout this province, and every single program will be reviewed.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who has watched the Liberals adopt New Democratic pledges like pharmacare and subsidized dental care, rejected suggestions Wynne’s Liberals were outflanking her party on the left.

“I do not support any of these programs in this budget. It’s a meagre amount,” said Horwath, attacking Ford for having “no plan whatsoever” and being “about sound bites and not substance.”

“He’s not talking about change for the better. Mr. Ford has a lot of platitudes. Maybe that’s because he prints a lot of bumper stickers in his other life,” she said, referring to the Ford family’s label business.

“Change for the sake of change will drag our province backwards. I dare say that’s what Mr. Ford is doing for his party.”

In the legislature, Sousa told the Liberals are “making a choice.”

“We are committing to more support for social and developmental services, more supports for mental health and health-care programs and more supports for students,” the minister said.

“We are choosing to put our strengthened fiscal position to work to address the priorities of the people of Ontario and, as a result, we project a deficit of $6.7 billion next year — less than 1 per cent of GDP,” he said.

Insisting the Liberals have “a clear plan to track back to balance,” Sousa claimed the governing party is striking the political middle ground between the Tories and the New Democrats.

“Some will argue for more cuts. Others will call for more spending,” he said.

The treasurer pointed out that servicing the debt will cost 8 cents on every dollar this year — compared to a peak of 15.5 cents in 2000-01 when the Conservatives were last in office and interest rates were higher. Still, that figure is projected to climb again to 8.5 cents by 2020-21.

Ontario’s net debt to gross domestic product rate, which peaked at 39.3 per cent in 2014-15, will be 37.6 per cent this year and is expected to rise to 38.9 per cent in 2022-23.

Sousa was extremely conservative on the revenue estimates for Ontario’s new cannabis monopoly that will be up and running after the federal government legalizes recreational marijuana this summer.

The government forecasts start-up costs will mean the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation — a subsidiary of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario — will lose $40 million this year. With retail branding as Ontario Cannabis Stores, the chain will make $35 million next year and $100 million in 2020-21.

There will, however, be $35 million in federal excise duty from pot this year, rising to $115 million by 2020-21 — half of which will be shared with municipalities to offset bylaw enforcement, policing and other anticipated new expenses.

Smokers will see tobacco taxes jump — by $4 a carton Thursday morning, and another $4 next year.

In terms of other tax changes, the 1.8 million Ontario taxpayers making $95,000 or more could pay an average of $200 more in personal income tax due to the elimination of a surtax and a streamlining of tax brackets.

But those who donate to charity will get additional tax relief — most donors who currently qualify for a break worth $211 to $253 on a $2,000 charitable donation will get back $325.

 

[ccc]

Analysis
Ontario budget: Kathleen Wynne gambles voters won't mind a deficit
Today's Ontario budget will be more a Liberal campaign platform than an actual budget, because the spending plan will only become a reality if Kathleen Wynne's party wins re-election in little over two months.

As June 7 election looms, Liberals promising billions in new spending on daycare, hospitals, drugs
Mike Crawley · CBC News · Posted: Mar 28, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne at a school library in Toronto on Tuesday, just before announcing her party's plan for free daycare for children aged 2-and-a-half to kindergarten age, starting in 2020. (CBC)

Today's Ontario budget will be more a Liberal campaign platform than an actual budget, because the spending plan will only become a reality if Kathleen Wynne's party wins re-election in little over two months.

Wynne and her Finance Minister Charles Sousa have already revealed billions of dollars in pre-budget announcements that will form the backbone of the Liberal re-election efforts:

• Free daycare for children from age 2½ to kindergarten ($2.2 billion over three years)
• Free prescription drugs for all seniors ($575 million)
• The biggest annual increase in hospital spending in a decade ($822 million)
• Expanded mental health services ($2.1 billion over four years)
• More support for special needs education ($300 million)

And there's more to come today. In the government's throne speech last week, the Liberals also promised the budget would include "major investments in home care" and would give people who don't have workplace benefits "access to more affordable prescription drugs and dental care."

It's also quite likely the budget will include one big surprise that the Liberals have not telegraphed, the one thing that they want all the headlines to focus on later today and tomorrow.

Don't be shocked if that big surprise is a tax cut, targeted at middle- to lower-income households.

The Wynne Liberals are promising Wednesday's budget will include 'major investments in home care.' (Getty Images/Cultura RF)

A tax cut would serve multiple political purposes for the Liberals in the campaign for the June 7 election. It would compete with the tax cut already floated by the opposition PCs, potentially outflank the NDP and help combat the Wynne Liberals' reputation as a tax-and-spend government.

It would also fit with a theme in Wynne's messaging lately that many people in Ontario are struggling to get by and need help to make life more affordable.

Despite all the hefty spending the Liberals have already promised, they could still manage to squeeze in a tax cut into today's budget because they're willing to table a deficit as high as $8 billion. Sousa flagged earlier this month that he will propose to plunge Ontario back into the red for 2018-19.

This comes even though the economy is booming, unemployment is at its lowest since the turn of the century, and tax revenues are rolling into government coffers.

The Liberals ran nine straight deficits before finally balancing the budget in 2017-18. As recently as November, when he released his fall economic statement, Sousa was still projecting staying in the black for the next two fiscal years.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the Liberals have starved public services for much of the past decade and are only now putting money back in because an election is looming. (CBC)

So why run a deficit instead? Wynne and her strategists are gambling that Ontario voters care less about budget shortfall than they do about having more government services.

They're also making two political calculations about their opponents.

They believe the Progressive Conservatives under new leader Doug Ford will not support much of the new spending, nor be willing to run such a deep deficit. That would give the Liberals the chance to portray the PCs as cutting services Ontarians want.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Ford would not commit to maintaining the Liberal promise of free daycare.

'Other people's money'
"The premier's been running around like Oprah, giving everybody what they want with other people's money," said PC finance critic Lisa MacLeod in question period on Tuesday. "She's got a massive, massive deficit that's going to be coming."

The Liberals also believe their promises will match or exceed the bulk of what the NDP proposes. They hope that will bleed votes away from Andrea Horwath's party.

The budget "can have every promise under the sun that Kathleen Wynne wants to put forward," Horwath told reporters at the legislature on Tuesday. "They had a chance over these last 15 years to implement all of those things, but they chose not to."

The NDP argument is that the Liberals have starved public services for much of the past decade and are only now, with an election looming, putting money back in.

 

[Anakin]

Conclusion?

 

[明的凡]

多伦多太阳报: 微恩和绶撒的话没一句可以信

http://torontosun.com/opinion/colum...y-is-believable/amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

[ccc]

Conclusion?

静等 @明的凡 剖悉。

 

[New Person]

看看FORD怎么接招吧。如果FORD说我能少花钱，做同样的事，甚至做更多的事，那肯定支持FORD。如果FORD说我能少花钱，也少做事，那就是半斤八两。

 

[ccc]

看看FORD怎么接招吧。如果FORD说我能少花钱，做同样的事，甚至做更多的事，那肯定支持FORD。如果FORD说我能少花钱，也少做事，那就是半斤八两。

Analysis
Ontario budget: Doug Ford takes the bait with Liberals' tax hike on top-income earners
The Ontario Liberals slipped a relatively small income tax increase into their pre-election budget, and PC leader Doug Ford is making a big noise about it.

The PC leader is refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy, a move that could play into Kathleen Wynne's hands
Mike Crawley · CBC News · Posted: Mar 29, 2018 5:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Ontario PC leader Doug Ford said he would scrap an income tax hike proposed in the Ontario Liberal pre-election budget that would target the top 17 per cent of income earners. (John Rieti/CBC)

The Ontario Liberals slipped a relatively small income tax increase into their pre-election budget, targeting the wealthy, and PC leader Doug Ford is making a big noise about it.

Ford is already vowing he would scrap the tax hike, and that might be exactly what the Liberals and Kathleen Wynne were hoping he would do.

• Liberals would plunge Ontario into the red for six years to pay for promises
• Highlights of the Ontario Liberals' election-year budget

The proposed changes involve the provincial surtax levied on the higher income brackets. Under the Liberal plan, the top 17 per cent of earners - about 1.8 million people - would pay more income tax. For example:

• Someone earning $95,000 a year would pay an extra $168.
• Someone earning $130,000 would see an income tax hike of about $200.

Some 680,000 people would pay less income tax. The bulk of people (about three-quarters of Ontario`s 11 million taxpayers) are not affected.

Ford highlighted it prominently during his news conference Wednesday.

"Today's budget includes massive — I repeat, massive — tax hikes," Ford said. "I'm not going to go after 1.8 million people and increase their taxes, charge them $200 more when they're already struggling with the highest hydro rates in North America."

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne applauds Finance Minister Charles Sousa as the Liberal government delivers its final budget before the provincial election in June. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

The budget documents say for those facing a tax hike under the plan, the average increase would be $200. Ford took that figure and ran with it.

"So, just think: a family of five will be paying $1,000 more in new taxes," he told the news conference.

I asked Ford to explain his math.

"We know that they've increased the taxes $200," he said. "Times five is $1,000."

So the kids in the family of five face an income tax increase too?

"I'm not saying kids," Ford responded. "If there's five people in your house that are paying taxes, there's going to be five people paying $200 more in taxes."

That is, if each of those five people earns $130,000 or so.

• Liberals promise $11 billion to start building high-speed rail between Toronto and London

The Liberal budget proposes deficits for six straight years, an astonishing time frame given that Ontario's economy is booming and unemployment is the lowest it's been for nearly two decades. The Liberal plan would add $31.9 billion to Ontario's debt. It bleeds so much red ink for so long that it gives Ford plenty of options for saving money.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath hinted Wednesday that her campaign platform will include a tax hike on 'the wealthiest amongst us.' (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

He could halt the three per cent increase to welfare rates ($2.3 billion). He could put the brakes on the free day care program and the expansion of child care spaces ($2.2 billion). He could refuse to increase hospital funding ($822 million). He could say no to free drugs for seniors ($1 billion). Or he could stop the construction of a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Windsor ($11 billion).

So far, Ford has not committed to scrapping (or keeping) any of these. But he says he would put a halt to the income tax hike.

You can imagine the attack lines the Liberals will use in the run up to the June 7 election: "Doug Ford says he's for the little guy, but he doesn't want rich people to pay their fair share of tax." Or perhaps, "Doug Ford complains about the Sunshine List, but he doesn't want somebody earning $130,000 to pay an extra $200 in income tax."

• Liberals propose drug and dental plan for those without workplace benefits

The NDP's Andrea Horwath isn't opposed to the plan. She's cooking up a tax hike on the rich for her own campaign platform.

"The wealthiest amongst us will be asked to step up and pay their fair share. That will be a part of our plan," Horwath told a news conference Wednesday.

The Liberals' proposed income tax increase is actually relatively small potatoes in the grand scheme of the provincial budget. The changes would net the government $275 million in the coming year. That's less than two-tenths of one per cent of government revenue.

The proposal is buried near the end of the 308-page budget. Finance Minister Charles Sousa didn't even bother to mention it during his 45-minute budget speech in the Legislature.

It's almost as if the Liberals wanted Ford to think they were trying to pull a fast one on the voters, so that he would come out hard against it.

 

[ottawaTT]

哇，很好呀，是不是请教了中国政府啊？安省看起来要腾飞了！

 

[New Person]

• Someone earning $95,000 a year would pay an extra $168.

• Someone earning $130,000 would see an income tax hike of about $200.

在这个档次收入的人，未必在乎这一两百块的税，也就一两顿饭馆。但整体来看，基建投资对OTTAWA的好处不大。