Special Edition: Ontario Budget 2016
Government’s news release: Ontario’s investments creating jobs for today and tomorrow:
https://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2016/02/ontarios-investments-creating-jobs-for-today-and-tomorrow.html
- Read the budget here: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/
Reactions
ISAC Analysis: Bold steps on social assistance reform, but incomes still grossly inadequate:
https://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/bold-steps-on-social-assistance-reform-in-ontario-budget-2016-but-incomes-still-grossly-inadequate/
- Star coverage: Ontario to end clawback of child support for parents on welfare: http://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/spending-smarter-on-student-aid-in-ontario/
Basic Income Canada Network: Ontario to try basic income pilot:
http://www.basicincomecanada.org/ontario_to_try_basic_income_guarantee_pilot
CCPA-Ontario: Ontario’s early bird budget didn’t get the worm:
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2016/02/25/ontarios-early-bird-budget-didnt-get-the-worm/
Canadian Federation of Students: Students win free post-secondary education for low-income families in Ontario:
http://cfs-fcee.ca/students-win-free-post-secondary-education-for-low-income-families-in-ontario/
CARP: CARP welcomes Ontario’s investments in health care but disappointed in increase to drug costs for seniors:
http://www.carp.ca/2016/02/25/carp-reports-on-ontario-budget-2016/
ISARC: Ontario Budget 2016: A wintery outlook for the poor:
http://isarc.ca/?p=658
Ontario Campaign 2000: Response to Budget 2016:
http://www.campaign2000.ca/Ontario/MediaReleaseONCampaign2000onBudget2016.pdf
OCAP: As food prices soar, Ontario Liberal Budget intensifies the war on the poor:
http://ocap.ca/node/4004
OCBCC: Province squandering its chance to be a leader on child care:
http://www.childcareontario.org/ontario_budget_province_squandering_its_chance_to_be_a_leader_on_child_care
OFL: Ontario budget throws public services under the infrastructure bus:
http://ofl.ca/index.php/ontariobudget2016/
Ontario Nurses’ Association: Budget provides small improvements for Ontario hospitals:
https://www.ona.org/news_details/budget_2016.html
Ontario’s Professional Employees: Ontario Budget continues to strain valuable public services:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/media-release-ontario-budget-continues-to-strain-valuable-public-services-2100563.htm
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance: Students applaud landmark improvements to financial aid:
http://www.ousa.ca/newsroom/news/press-release-students-applaud-landmark-improvements-financial-assistance/#content
Stapleton: A “Robin Hood” Budget for 2016 in Ontario:
http://openpolicyontario.com/a-robin-hood-budget-for-2016-in-ontario/
Conference Board of Canada: Ontario Budget 2016:
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=7781
Canadian Taxpayers Federation: Ontario’s fiscal train wreck continues:
http://www.taxpayer.com/news-releases/budget-2016–ontario-s-fiscal-train-wreck-continues
Select Media Coverage
Note: Globe and Mail coverage is largely behind a paywall, so isn’t included here.
CBC
- New grant will cover average tuition for low-income students: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-tuition-college-university-1.3464505
- Low-income seniors, students get relief: http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-1.3464504
- Mixed reaction from health-care, student groups: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-2016-budget-reaction-students-hospitals-1.3464871
- Liberals cap-and-trade plan expected to generate $1.9 billion annually: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-cap-and-trade-1.3464507
- More seniors to qualify for low-income drug program: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-seniors-drugs-1.3464557
- Hiking drug costs for seniors ‘doesn’t make a lot of sense’, CARP executive says: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-senior-drug-cost-changes-1.3465570
- Wynne tries to find carbon pricing ‘sweet spot’: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/kathleen-wynne-budget-metro-morning-1.3465054
- How is your pocket book affected? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-pocketbook-cost-1.3464575
Toronto Star
- Highlights of 2015 Ontario Budget: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/25/highlights-of-the-2016-ontario-budget.html
- Winners and losers of the 2016 Ontario budget: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/25/winners-and-losers-of-the-2016-ontario-budget.html
- Ontario budget lowers post-secondary tuition while hiking gas costs: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/25/ontario-budget-lowers-post-secondary-tuition-while-hiking-gas-costs.html
- Ontario carbon cap buried in the fine print: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/25/liberals-spell-out-permissible-carbon-emissions.html
- What the 2016 Ontario budget means for you: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/25/what-the-2016-ontario-budget-means-for-you.html
- Ontario cracks down on underground economy, goes after tax cheats: http://www.thestar.com/business/2016/02/25/ontario-cracks-down-on-underground-economy-goes-after-tax-cheats.html
- Crunching the numbers in Ontario’s 2016 budget: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/25/crunching-the-numbers-in-ontarios-2016-budget.html
National Post
- Ontario budget 2016 walks tightrope between aspirations of social justice and hard fiscal realities: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/ontario-budget-2016-predicts-deficit-reduced-by-billions-alongside-revamped-climate-change-plan
- What the opposition and stakeholders think about the Liberal government’s plan: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/ontario-budget-2016-what-the-opposition-and-stakeholders-think-about-the-liberal-governments-plan
- Free tuition pledge: What the changes mean for some students: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ontario-budget-2016s-free-tuition-pledge-what-the-changes-mean-for-some-low-income-students
- Ontario’s budget deficit shrinks more than expected to $5.7 billion: http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/ontarios-budget-deficit-for-2016-shrinks-more-than-expected-to-5-7-billion
- Rising debt, free university tuition for some – 31 things you need to know: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ontario-budget-2016-a-rising-debt-free-university-for-lower-income-families-and-31-things-you-need-to-know
- Coyne: Wynne Liberals succeed in making the terms ‘budget’ and ‘deficit’ near incomprehensible: http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andrew-coyne-wynne-liberals-succeed-in-making-the-terms-budget-and-deficit-near-incomprehensible
Toronto Sun
- Ontario budget jacks up cost of living: http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/25/sin-taxes-gas-fees-rise-in-ontario-budget
- Goldstein: Cap-and-trade: The next Liberal rip-off: http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/25/cap-and-trade-the-next-liberal-rip-off
Global News
- No new funding for Toronto housing, infrastructure projects: http://globalnews.ca/news/2540914/ontario-budget-doesnt-deliver-new-funding-for-housing-other-toronto-needs/
- Service fees, including vehicle registration, to rise with inflation: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ontario-budget-2016s-free-tuition-pledge-what-the-changes-mean-for-some-low-income-students