Minister overlooks glaring gaps in provincial budget

To the Editor:

Northern Minister Michael Gravelle’s Letter to the Editor (Showing priority of Northern Ontario, March 10) fails to mention some key facts about the 2016 Liberal Budget.

When I sat in the Legislature and listened to the Budget speech, I was appalled the words ‘Northern Ontario’ were never uttered. Not even once.

And as I spent seven hours in the lock-up reading the budget, I was shocked to see the short paragraph on the Ring of Fire was simply a re-announcement of the 2015 paragraph, which itself was a re-announcement of the 2014 paragraph!

"I was shocked to see the short paragraph on the Ring of Fire was simply a re-announcement of the 2015 paragraph, which itself was a re-announcement of the 2014 paragraph!"

The Minister failed to mention the various budget measures that will make life more unaffordable for families and seniors. The Children’s Activity Tax Credit and the Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit are cut, costing families $64 million. A single senior earning more than $19,300 will now see their cost of drugs almost double, causing many on a fixed income to choose whether to buy their needed medications or to buy food.

Fees for driver and vehicle licensing, camping in provincial parks, fishing and hunting licences, liquor licences, event permits, and court applications will all rise. The 4.3 cent a litre increase in gasoline will eventually mean a $400 increase in annual costs according to forecasts, and natural gas increases will eventually rise by $475 per year for each household heated by natural gas.

While the government talks about the small amount of long-awaited base funding for hospitals, they failed to mention the budget removes $107 million of traditional OLG gaming revenue for the operation of hospitals, and lowers parking revenues by $28 million.

And the Premier finally acknowledged that their signature ‘free tuition’ announcement isn’t really free; students are still required to pay $3,000 towards their overall costs.

I believe the most alarming item in the budget was found where the government downgraded their own job numbers. Last year they predicted 93,000 jobs would be created in 2016; they are now projecting 78,000 – or 15,000 less. This is an admission by the Ministry of Finance that all of the added costs in this budget will reduce disposable income, depress consumer spending, and cost Ontarians jobs.

It’s clear what this budget is all about. After 13 years of reckless spending, Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals are attempting to balance their books on the backs of students, families, and seniors.

Victor Fedeli,

MPP, Nipissing,

PC Finance Critic