Budget contained no plan to offset the dramatic increase in business taxes associated with reintroducing the Provincial Sales Tax a few years ago.
Government Spending & Taxes
While saying the public sector should focus more on outcomes, McGuinty refuses to look at the end results of his policies for Ontario’s economic performance.
Prime Minister Trudeau recently mused that not only will the $10 billion deficit ceiling be broken, but the return to a balanced budget by 2019/20 is now in question.
While the overall federal transfer “pie” has grown significantly over the past decade, Ontario’s “slice” has also grown larger.
Dalton McGuinty laments that the Great Recession stunted his plans to expand Ontario public services
In his autobiography, McGuinty discusses how his first act as premier was to break his election promise and raise taxes.
By the Ontario government’s own count it has 380,000 regulations on the books, twice as many as the next province.
This year, Ontario is projected to run its eighth consecutive budget deficit, which will be approximately $7.5 billion.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has reiterated her government’s commitment to push ahead with a provincial pension plan.
The federal government may speed up spending on infrastructure projects in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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