COCA’s 2022 Provincial Budget Highlights

PCs Will Campaign on Promises in Budget

Shortly after 4:00 pm on the afternoon of Thursday, April 28th, Ontario’s Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, rose in the provincial legislature to deliver a speech outlining the government’s financial blueprint for 2022/2023. It’s titled “Ontario’s Plan to Build.”  The Ontario Budget webpage can be found here: https://budget.ontario.ca/2022/index.html

Following his address, Bethlanfalvy tabled Bill 124, An Act to Implement Budget Measures and An Act to Amend Various Statutes. The Speaker then adjourned the legislature until September 12th making way for the writs of election to be issued by the Lieutenant Governor next week and the election campaign to officially begin.

The budget is essentially a package of the vast number of spending commitments the government had already made over the last several months. Surprisingly little mention is made of the pandemic or attention to emergency preparedness and readiness. After a 28-day campaign, the election will be held on June 2nd.