The 2021-2022 provincial budget will be delivered Wednesday afternoon.
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the package will focus on economic recovery and fighting the pandemic.
“Our government’s second pandemic budget will focus on protecting peoples health and supporting people and job creators who are continuing to struggle during these tough times. We’ve been fighting COVID-19 for a year now. Our budget will finish the job we started last year.”
Bethlenfalvy notes, “You can not have a healthy economy without healthy people. Supporting the financial stability of hospitals across the province isn’t just necessary for our health, it is essential for our economic recovery.”
He adds “We will continue to invest in Ontario’s healthcare and long-term care systems for our urgent fight against COVID-19 and to strengthen it for future generations. Ontario will continue to make investments to ensure a strong healthcare system that is there for patients when they need it.”
The pandemic was to blame for a projected $38.5 billion deficit in the 2020 budget.
Bethlenfalvy would not say whether the financial plan will lay out a path to a balanced budget, something that Premier Doug Ford had to abandon when lockdowns caused widespread job losses last year.
The Financial Accountability Office reports that as of December 31, 2020 the province had about $4.7 million left in it’s contingency fund and reserves.
Bethlenfalvy claims that the FAO can’t analyze government decisions in real time and is not counting recent spending such as $1.4 billion to give cash grants to businesses forced to close during the winter lockdown, or another $600 million spent on additional personal protective equipment.
He says they won’t be raising taxes or cut any provincial services.
(With Files From Kevin Jeffery)
