The federal Liberals are attacking the Ontario Progressive Conservative government's first budget since Doug Ford was elected premier, hoping voters across the country will connect the document's cuts to social spending and the yet-to-be-announced policy leanings of Andrew Scheer's Conservatives. The provincial budget proposes cuts in post-secondary education and social services, scaling back the growth in spending projected by Ontario's former Liberal government. Federal Employment Minister Patty Hajdu, an MP from Thunder Bay in northern Ontario, called the budget "reckless" in how it takes a knife to programs that affect everything from social security and job creation to northern development and the province's ability to fight forest fires. At almost every turn at a news conference Friday, Hajdu told reporters in Ottawa that voters across the country can expect the same kind of "cruel" fiscal slashing from the federal Conservatives under Scheer's leadership, should they choose him to govern the nation in the October election. "From my perspective, Doug Ford and his cronies are trying to pull a fast one on Ontarians," Hajdu said. "It's quite clear that Andrew Scheer would take exactly the same tactic." Ontario on 'reasonable path to balance' Much as the federal Liberals did in 2015, the Ford government is pledging to balance Ontario's books several years down the road. Justin Trudeau didn't deliver on his campaign pledge of "modest" deficit spending with a plan to balance the federal budget by 2019. Every year, his government has produced bigger deficits than it promised, and this year's is nearly $20 billion. Balancing the provincial budget was a key election promise for the Ontario Tories. Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said Thursday he expected the province would eliminate its budget deficit by the 2023-24 fiscal year, two years beyond the end of their term. "We have developed a reasonable path to balance," Fedeli said. "Our path to balance in five years is a thoughtful and a measured approach to take." Federal Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre, who for months has been hounding the Trudeau Liberals to say when the federal books will be balanced, said Friday he understands the Ontario PC government was handed a tenuous fiscal situation by the province's former Liberal government. With that in mind, the Ford government has taken a responsible approach with a plan to bring deficit spending to an eventual end, Poilievre said. "They inherited a disastrous financial situation and they've tried to balance fiscal responsibility against the continuing needs of the people while constrained by enormous record debt," he said. "I think they got the balance right." Program expenses to rise an average 0.8% Under the Ontario budget, program expenses in the province are to rise over three years by an average of 0.8 per cent, compared to the 3.3 per cent in growth that the former Liberal government had projected. The document talks about fighting climate change "without a carbon tax," but provides no new money for climate programs. It does, however, earmark cash for clean-technology investments that could create jobs in industries producing solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicle charging stations. "Canadians want us to take action on things like climate," Hajdu said, denouncing the Ford government's criticism of the federal carbon tax. "They know that their children's health and safety depends on governments that are going to take responsible action." Hajdu wasn't focused only on the Ford government Friday. She lumped Jason Kenney's Alberta Conservatives together with the Ford government in warning Canadians that they can expect "cuts, cuts, cuts" to spending under a Scheer government similar to those announced in Ontario and proposed in Alberta where Kenney is fighting to unseat his province's NDP government. "We see the Conservative governments behave the same way no matter where they are elected," said Hajdu.<doc-sep>The Ontario budget released this week has some saying that reconciliation does not appear to be a priority with the new Progressive Conservative government. Cuts of nearly $1 billion from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services over three years and a 15 per cent cut in core funding for the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs is attacking the most vulnerable, according to Kiiwetinoong New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa. "When we talk about the budget, it's kind of like what we can foresee in the next year," he said. "It seems that the budget forecast says that Indigenous people do not matter with this government, it's very clear from the cuts that they've made." 'Real setback' to reconciliation Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett said she was "extraordinarily disappointed" in the Ontario budget and that it's a "real setback" in the momentum of reconciliation in Canada. The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs' budget last year was $146 million. This year its base funding was reduced by 15 per cent to 74.4 million, down from 88 million last year, and there is no allotment for one-time investments such as claim settlements. "The whole point of settlements is to try to get out of court and to be able to negotiate a settlement that is fair for those communities," said Bennett. She said that though it's not clear how Ontario is going to bookkeep settlements, in the cases going forward, the Ontario government will be needed at the table and they will will have to "sort that out." Ontario Finance Minister Vic Fedeli presents the 2019 budget as Premier Doug Ford looks on at the legislature in Toronto on Thursday. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press) In an email response to CBC News, a spokesperson from the Office of Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs said "One-time funding amounts for land settlement claims for the coming fiscal year have not been settled at this time, hence no number allotted." "We are not speculating on the one-time funding amount at this time." The spokesperson added $2.7 million has been earmarked in support of Indigenous economic development, money that will be spread between the Indigenous Economic Development Fund, New Relationship Fund, Indigenous Community Capital Grants Program and the Métis Voyageur Development Fund. Concern over power grid project Alvin Fiddler, Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) that represents 49 First Nations communities in Northern Ontario, said that despite references to some of NAN's projects and territory, the budget lacked details on how the province plans on honouring the commitments it has made. One of those involves connecting remote communities to the provincial power grid. In December 2018, Pikangikum First Nation became the first community to draw power from the provincial grid through the Wataynikaneyap Power Project, which is to connect an additional 15 communities by 2023. "There's no sort of concrete commitments on how they plan on supporting the rest of the project which is just getting off the ground," said Fiddler. The former diesel generating station in Pikangikum, Ont., at the airport is now idle, after the community was connected to the provincial power grid, via Wataynikaneyap Power's line through Red Lake, Ont. (Jeff Walters/CBC) Fiddler said the NAN team is working on breaking down the numbers presented in the budget to figure out what it really means moving forward, but he remains skeptical about the PC government's commitment to reconciliation. "One of the first things that they did was to cancel the Indigenous curriculum work that was going on at the time," said Fiddler. "To me that just sent a signal to Indigenous Peoples that any commitment to reconciliation by this new government was under question."<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email As the cost of childcare continues to weigh heavily on many Canadian families, the Ontario government announced its proposed plan to help low- and middle-income families deal with financial stress. The Progressive Conservative’s Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit, announced Thursday in the province’s budget, is set up to allow parents to decide what childcare options work best for them, according to Finance Minister Vic Fedeli. READ MORE: How the Ontario 2019 budget will affect families across the province But some childcare advocates are sounding the alarm, saying the rebate program does not go far enough in helping families covering skyrocketing costs. WATCH: New study tallies up soaring cost of child care 1:46 New study tallies up soaring cost of child care New study tallies up soaring cost of child care – Dec 12, 2017 How does the CARE tax credit work? The CARE tax credit is based on a sliding scale for families earning up to $150,000 in household income each year. Families earning $20,000 or less per year will qualify for 75 per cent of eligible expenses per child. Story continues below advertisement Under the tax credit, families with children under seven would receive up to $6,000 and children between seven and 16 would receive $3,750. Children with a severe disability would receive up to $8,250. For example, a couple earning a combined $150,000 with two children under seven would receive $160 under the CARE tax credit. A couple earning a combined $80,000 with two children under seven would receive $6,240. Families have to keep receipts for the childcare expenses and can start to claim the tax credit starting with the 2019 tax year. The Ontario government said it’s worth an average of $1,250 per family and can be used for many childcare options, like in-home daycare and camps. On top of this, the province is also pledging up to $1 billion over the next five years to create 30,000 new child-care spaces. “The CARE tax credit would be one of the most flexible child care initiatives ever introduced in Ontario. It is a plan to put parents, and not the government, at the centre of the child care decision-making process,” Fedeli said in a statement. “We want parents to be able to choose the kind of care that is best for their children so that they can go to work, run a business, or study to acquire new skills.” Story continues below advertisement Will it close the childcare affordability gap in Ontario? Ontario is one of the country’s most expensive childcare markets. In Toronto, the median cost for childcare is $1,685 a month or $20,220 a year, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Of course, childcare fees vary by region and the child’s age. For childcare centres, the average infant fee varies from $51.00 per day in northern Ontario to $85.00 per day in Toronto. For toddlers, the range is from $42.00 to $66.00. Because the cost of childcare is so high, Carolyn Ferns with the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, said the tax rebate does not help a lot, even for the lowest income families. WATCH: How to fix it Ontario’s child care crisis 4:03 Child care crisis in Ontario: How to fix it? Child care crisis in Ontario: How to fix it? – Apr 13, 2017 “The total amount you can get tops at around $6,000. And the government claims it covers 75 per cent of costs, which means you have to find childcare that costs $9,000 a year,” she said. “This is far below the medium infancy rate of $20,000 in Toronto or $12,000 in Ottawa.” Story continues below advertisement “So that is a lot of out of pocket money.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "So that is a lot of out of pocket money." For example, if a low-income family finds a childcare centre that charges $20,000 a year, the tax credit would leave them with $13,250 to cover on their own. #Budget2019 example of 2 yr old in #childcare at $9,600/yr ($800 a month). For that age (toddler) there is no where in Ontario where median fee is that low for full time care. Every major Ont city in every age group fees are higher than that. @CCPA_Ont @ccpa pic.twitter.com/INHI7nRs1W — David Macdonald (@DavidMacCdn) April 11, 2019 In a blog post in the Conversation, Gordon Cleveland, an associate professor of economics at the University of Toronto, said the tax credit will not be enough to close the affordability gap. “The current child care subsidy system in Ontario calculates that families earning below $35,000 can afford to pay no more than $1,500 in total for child care annually,” he said. Ferns said many lower-income families will still rely on subsidized daycare, something she is afraid the Ontario government may slash. WATCH: Affordable child care crunch across Canada 2:04 Affordable child care crunch across Canada Affordable child care crunch across Canada – Mar 26, 2019 “The budget did not outline what will happen to subsidized childcare or the early childhood educator wage grant. If these programs are cut, daycares may have to raise their fees and parents will lose subsidies,” Ferns said. Story continues below advertisement Ferns said another problem with the tax credit is the need to pay upfront costs before you get the money back. And because many families live paycheque to paycheque, this credit may not be a reality. However, the Ontario government said starting in 2021, the credit families can apply for advance payments. What about other provinces? A 2019 study of childcare fees in Canada by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives argued the best way for provinces to tackle unaffordable childcare costs is to cap fees and make up the difference with operational funding. David MacDonald, a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said three provinces have intervened in childcare and set fees at lower costs than the market rate. Quebec, Manitoba and P.E.I. have lowered the costs for residents by setting a maximum price, MacDonald said.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Ontario’s budget announcement proposes consolidating the province’s 35 public health units into 10 regional agencies by 2021. The move is intended to reduce health-care bureaucracy and overlapping administration duties, which the government has projected will result in annual savings of $200 million by 2022. WATCH: PCs say it’s consolidating health agencies, networks 1:08 Ontario Budget 2019: PCs say it’s consolidating health agencies, networks Ontario Budget 2019: PCs say it’s consolidating health agencies, networks – Apr 11, 2019 Public health units are currently jointly funded by the province and the individual city. The proposal suggests this model could be adjusted, but does not elaborate on what the adjustments will be. Story continues below advertisement A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care did not provide additional details but said that the government will continue to work with public health units and municipalities to ensure the effective delivery of public health programs. “Modernizing and streamlining the role of public health units across the province will better co-ordinate access to health promotion and disease prevention programs at the local level, ensuring that Ontario’s families stay safe and healthy,” Hayley Chazan said in a statement. The move is part of a broader push by the Ontario Conservatives to consolidate local and provincial health networks. “Our government will reduce the bloated health-care bureaucracy,” Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said during his budget speech. “We’re redirecting our resources to the front line.” The public heath unit announcement has already sparked backlash from some city officials. Waterloo Regional Chair Karen Redman released a statement expressing disappointment at the proposed changes to public health. “This is unfortunate. Waterloo Region has benefited greatly from having Public Health fully integrated with other municipal functions,” said Redman. “How will these regional health units be governed and funded? How will these units be grouped by geography and will residents still receive the same programs and services for their tax dollars? Local accountability is important.” Story continues below advertisement She told Global News in an interview that she doesn’t believe a centralized public health service can provide the same local assistance and guidance to city officials. She noted that the Region of Waterloo Board of Health has weighed in on a number of issues outside their mandate because of their local focus, including water services, transportation, land use and social services. Public health units provide a wide range of services. Many administer disease prevention programs to inform the public about healthy life-styles, communicable disease control including education in STDs/AIDS, immunization, food premises inspection, healthy growth and development including parenting education, health education for all age groups and selected screening services. WATCH: PCs commit to funding for seniors, mental health 1:08 Ontario Budget 2019: PCs say it’s consolidating health agencies, networks Ontario Budget 2019: PCs say it’s consolidating health agencies, networks – Apr 11, 2019 For example, Toronto Public Health completes biannual surveillance for blacklegged ticks, ongoing pollutant tracking, annual flu shot rate reporting, overdose tracking, West Nile surveillance, etc., along with general population health reports. Story continues below advertisement York Region Public Health hosts workshops for injury prevention along with breastfeeding clinics and parenting programs. Redman added that she’s concerned about the “responsiveness and accountability” of a centralized public health service, and doubted the province’s ability to save $200 million as it predicts. “That’s a really big number, and regarding services, if we’re not going to cut them then those services are going to have to be delivered by someone.” WATCH: Ontario budget’s ‘focus on alcohol’ consequential for health of Canadians: Hadju 1:31 Ontario budget’s ‘focus on alcohol’ consequential for health of Canadians: Hajdu Ontario budget’s ‘focus on alcohol’ consequential for health of Canadians: Hajdu – Apr 12, 2019 She explained that it came as a surprise that the budget proposal included modifications to public health. “That was a real surprise to us. Our understanding was that the government wasn’t necessarily going to look at public health boards.” Story continues below advertisement In addition, the budget pledges to modernize the province’s health laboratory system and to streamline “back-office inefficiencies” through digitization. What does the current funding model for public health look like? Ontario public health currently operates on a cost-sharing model where the province funds up to 75 per cent of mandatory programs and the municipality funds 25 per cent, however, this funding breakdown may vary depending on the region. Programs all public health units are required to run include Health Assessment and Surveillance, Chronic Diseases and Injuries, Family Health, Infectious Diseases, Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness. In addition, the province also funds 100 per cent of many non-mandated programs. For example, in Waterloo, these include, Healthy Babies Healthy Children, Infectious Disease control, Needle Exchange, Healthy Smiles Ontario, Smoke Free Ontario, Enhanced Food Safety and Enhanced Water Safety Initiatives and Public Health Nurse initiatives, according to a Region of Waterloo briefing document. The province also funds vaccines for immunization programs and drugs for the use of treatment in sexually-transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and leprosy in Waterloo. READ MORE: How the Ontario 2019 budget will affect families across the province In Toronto, 100 per cent-provincially funded programs include Healthy Smiles Ontario, Communicable Disease Liaison Unit, AIDS Hotline, Healthy Babies Healthy Children, Preschool Speech and Language, Infant Hearing, Diabetes Strategy and Smoke Free Ontario. Story continues below advertisement The City of Toronto has two entirely-municipally-funded programs as well, including Dental Treatment for seniors and children and Student Nutrition Program. Across all public health units, the Ministry of Health approves an annual increase over the prior year’s budget of between 1.5 per cent and 9.5 per cent, and funding decisions are typically made after each public health unit submits a funding request for approval at the beginning of a calendar year. In 2018, Toronto Public Health submitted an 2019 operating budget proposal for almost $252 million, 72 per cent of which would be funded by the province.<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email Premier Doug Ford’s first budget contained few new spending surprises but promises significant investments in healthcare, a new childcare tax credit and major changes to the way alcohol is sold across the province. The $163.4 billion budget – nearly $5 billion larger than the last Liberal budget – pegs current the deficit at $11.7 billion, and the Progressive Conservatives say the books won’t be balanced until 2023–24. Other budget highlights include a push to legalize online gaming, a new dental program for low-in come seniors, increased transit funding for Toronto and symbolic changes like a rebrand of driver’s licences and passenger plates. Minister Vic Fedeli said the budget will provide $26 billion in “much needed relief” for families and businesses, while aiming to tackle the provincial debt which sits at $343-billion. Story continues below advertisement READ MORE: Ford government committed to lifting cap on pot shops in Ontario “We are protecting what matters most in a reasonable and thoughtful manner,” Fedeli told reporters. “It’s also a budget that contains no new tax increases. Not one.” Here’s a look at how the 2019 budget will affect families and individuals across the province. Funding for child care 1:40 Ontario Budget 2019: Fedeli outlines 4 priorities for government Ontario Budget 2019: Fedeli outlines 4 priorities for government – Apr 11, 2019 WATCH ABOVE: Fedeli outlines 4 priorities for government The centrepiece of the PC budget is the Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit. Under the CARE tax credit eligible families would receive up to 75 per cent of their eligible child care expenses since Jan. 1, 2019. Families with children under seven would receive up to $6,000, children between 7 and 16 would receive $3,750. Children with a severe disability would receive up to $8,250. Story continues below advertisement “Our government is investing in one of the most flexible child care initiatives in the province,” Fedeli said. “This will provide 300,000 families with up to 75 per cent of their eligible expenses for child care centres, home cased care, and day camps.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our government is investing in one of the most flexible child care initiatives in the province," Fedeli said. "This will provide 300,000 families with up to 75 per cent of their eligible expenses for child care centres, home cased care, and day camps." For example, a couple earning a combined $150,000 with two children under seven would receive $160 under the CARE tax credit. A couple earning a combined $80,000 with two children under seven would receive $6,240. According to the government’s projections, the tax credit would cost about $390 million annually. The province is also promising up to a $1 billion over five years to create up to 30,000 child care spaces in schools. NDP leader Andrea Horwath pointed to $1-billion in cuts to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social services as evidence the budget “won’t help families” and the lack of funding for parents with children who have autism, an issue that sparked widespread protests in the province. “We went into this budget expecting deep cuts,” Horwath told reporters. “What we didn’t expect was level of irresponsibility and outright cruelty that we are seeing in this budget.” Under the changes announced by Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod kids under six diagnosed with autism will receive $20,000 and kids over six will receive $5,000. The plan as originally designed would only give those maximum amounts to families making under $55,000. Story continues below advertisement Intensive therapy can cost up to $80,000 a year. Expanded booze sales View image in full screen Beer products are on display at a Toronto beer store on Thursday, April 16, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young With more than 60 mentions in the budget, the Ford government is planning major changes to the way booze is sold in the province that will include permitting tailgating at sporting events, allowing bars and restaurants to sell alcohol starting at 9 a.m. and allow licensed establishments to advertise “happy hour.” The tailgating permits, announced ahead of Thursday’s budget, will allow booze to be sold at professional sporting events, semi-pro events and at eligible college and university events. Municipalities will also be allowed to designate public areas, such as parks, for the consumption of alcohol.