Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 20, 2018
Ontario Liberals use throne speech to make big spending promises for health care, child care
Ontario’s Liberal government teased what voters should expect in its upcoming pre-election budget in a speech from the throne on Monday, promising significant new spending on a wide range of programs and issues.
The address comes as the province prepares for a June 7 election.
The speech comes a week before the government is set to table its 2018 budget, which is expected to include a deficit of about $8 billion the Liberals say is necessary to beef up spending on health care, child care and support for students.
“After delivering a balanced budget this year, your government has made a deliberate choice to make more investments in the care and the services that the people of this province rely on,” Dowdeswell said.
“As a result, the 2018 budget will show a modest deficit next year of less than one per cent of our GDP, and outline a path back to a balanced budget.”
Health care is clearly emerging as a central theme in the run-up to the official start of campaign season.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was at Queen’s Park on Monday morning to provide more details on her party’s $1.2-billion proposal to provide dental care coverage for everyone in the province.
Speaking to reporters, Horwath said that an NDP government would “absolutely” run a deficit, but she said it was necessary because of Liberal fiscal mismanagement. (Source: CBC News)