FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2015
QUEEN’S PARK – The Liberal government budget that was just released is not a substantive plan to get Ontario back on a firm economic footing and eliminate the deficit by 2017-18.
“My colleagues and I can’t support this budget. In the last few weeks, we laid out five areas to be included in this budget that would help make Ontarians better off. None of them were addressed in the way we requested. In fact, in some areas, it is totally opposite. These five asks were minimums for our caucus – and they haven’t been met,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett.
While the government is talking about their spending on infrastructure, the $130 billion is actually the same amount as in last year’s budget.
“There’s no new money, and in fact, last year they said only $3.1 billion in asset sales would be needed to achieve that spending and the remainder would be covered through general revenues,” Barrett said. “Now, the government is saying they have to sell significant assets to pay for the same initiatives. The new money will be used to lower the deficit. It’s just a shell game.”
Additionally, the amount spent on the debt interest is the highest growth area in this budget – an average annual increase of 5.7 per cent. This is more than the growth in any other sector, including health and education.
“The Liberals are taking money from health care to pay for the interest on the debt,” Barrett said. “Our grandchildren are going to be paying off the debt. Ontarians can’t afford this budget or the direction the government is taking this province. They can’t afford the high electricity rates and new taxes.”
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446
or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org