For Immediate Release
July 8, 2014
Premier’s promise has a $30.2 billion discrepancy
Queen’s Park – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett took time during Question Period today to remind Premier Wynne that in 2012 she committed to eliminate Ontario’s deficit by fiscal year 2017-18.
“So you say in three years it’s zero deficit,” Barrett questioned. “However, your hand-picked economist, Don Drummond, projects in three years a $30.2-billion deficit. Premier how do you square this $30.2-billion discrepancy?”
Instead of answering the question herself, the Premier asked Treasury Board President Deb Matthews to respond. Matthews told members of the House the government is and has taken measures “very clear steps” to reduce the deficit.
Following question period, Barrett said Ms. Matthews failed to describe the plan and didn’t give specific examples of the measures that have been taken.
“Nothing will come of nothing,” Barrett told Matthews. “Your Minister of Finance is expecting revenue shortfalls in the coming years. “Back to the Premier: How will you keep your promise? Is it selling assets, cutting government programs and services for families, seniors, and vulnerable people in our society or jacking up taxes on the middle class? Or do you plan on breaking your promise to balance the books in three years? What is the plan for 2017-2018? Is it to cut government spending by $30.2 billion? Is that the plan?”
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For more information contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629
HANSARD
ONTARIO BUDGET
Mr. Toby Barrett: To the Premier. Premier, just before you became Liberal leader in 2012, you made a commitment to eliminate Ontario’s deficit by fiscal year 2017-18, a promise you continue to reiterate …
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(Mr. Toby Barrett)
…in 2012 you made a commitment to eliminate Ontario’s deficit by fiscal year 2017-2018, a promise you continue to reiterate. I’ll go back to your quote of 2012: “When I say we need to stay on our government’s fiscal plan of balancing the budget by 2017-2018, I mean it.”
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So you say in three years it’s zero deficit. However your hand-picked economist, Don Drummond, projects in three years a $30.2-billion deficit. Premier how do you square this $30.2 billion discrepancy?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: The President of the Treasury Board.
Hon. Deborah Matthews: I think I would advise the member opposite to actually read what Don Drummond had to say about that. The point he was making was if we did nothing that is the reality we would be facing. What we have done is we made very clear steps to reduce our deficit—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): That’s enough. Finish, please.
Hon. Deborah Matthews: We are committed to balancing the budget by 2017-2018 and we’ve had to make tough decisions in the past in order to move to that direction. Every single time we took a difficult decision you stood up in opposition to that.
What I’m saying is that all of us agree—all three parties agree—we must get to balance. We’re looking for constructive ways to get there. You do have some responsibility to support the transformation that—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. The member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound will come to order. Supplementary.
Mr. Toby Barrett: Well, back to the Premier: We have no indication from you of how your promise will be kept. Nothing will come of nothing. Your Minister of Finance is expecting revenue shortfalls in the coming years.
Back to the Premier: How will you keep your promise? Is it selling assets, cutting government programs and services for families, seniors vulnerable in our society or jacking up taxes on the middle class? Or do you plan on breaking your promise to balance the books in three years? What is the plan for 2017-2018? Is it to cut government spending by $30.2 billion? Is that the plan?
Hon. Deborah Matthews: I think all of us are looking forward to the budget being introduced next week. I don’t think there will be any surprises though, because we’ve committed to introducing the same budget that was not supported by either party when we introduced it earlier this year. It clearly lays out a path and we have actually become the lowest spender in the country on a per-capita basis.
Our program spending is down to 1.4% annually, looking ahead to 1.1% annually. We’re on track to meeting those deficit targets. But what I don’t understand is that we seem to have an austerity-everywhere-but-my-riding attitude on your side of the House, where people will stand up and advocate for more spending in their riding but no spending overall.