QUEEN’S PARK, ON – Today, Ontario Liberal Finance Critic, Stephanie Bowman, sent a letter to Minister Bethlenfalvy sharing demands — ahead of the 2024-25 Budget — for real action to drive economic growth, help people who are struggling and build healthy communities.
“We are seeing weak action and fiscal irresponsibility from this Conservative government to address the messes they have made in healthcare and education. And they are doing little to deal with the crises in housing, affordability and mental health challenges that Ontarians are living with each and every day. Instead, we see dithering and delays, failures, flip-flops and scandals. Ontario’s Liberals have a better approach than this failed Conservative government. Our agenda is based on a simple concept of abundance, and we will achieve our vision through strong action to attract jobs and through careful stewardship of the budget.”
– Bonnie Crombie, Leader of Ontario’s Liberals
“Never has a government spent more to achieve less. Today, we put forward more ideas to improve the quality of life for the people of Ontario and improve the prosperity of this province. It’s time for the Conservatives to turn a new page and put forward a budget that fixes their mistakes and prioritizes the people of Ontario over their insider friends.”
– MPP Stephanie Bowman, Finance Critic
Ontario Liberals are demanding this government do better and have recommended 16 measures for the upcoming budget, including:
- Developing and fully funding a multi-year health human-resource strategy that places a priority on retention while comprehensively addressing the needs of healthcare workers and family doctors.
- Investing at least an additional $1.2 billion over the next three years in the post-secondary education sector, based on the recommendation presented by your own government’s Blue-Ribbon Panel on Post-Secondary Financial Sustainability. And eliminating the provincial portion of interest on OSAP loans.
- Providing immediate financial relief for Ontario families by returning the provincial portion of the HST related to home heating.
- Investing $20 million to extend the Digital Mainstreet program for at least one year to help small businesses expand their digital footprint and customer base.
- Doubling the funding with an additional $28.1 million annually, to the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, which will serve over 761,000 meals to students in the province each day.
- Addressing wage disparities for workers across home care, community care and long-term care.
View the full letter and list of demands here.