QP Briefing

Despite having the largest spending plan in the province’s history, Ontario says it’s on track to 

 by 2025 by putting a heavy emphasis on support for industry, offering tax relief to manufacturers and small businesses.

 over the next three years on health care, including an $850 million increase in funding to hospitals plus $200 million to address staffing shortages.

Ontario’s biggest budget ever has more money for health care, education and seniors. 

Ontario would need to build an average of 150,000 homes per year to meet its target of 1.5 million homes by 2031, but projections in the latest budget show fewer than 100,00 new homes will begin construction per year between 2022 and 2025 — that means just 23 per cent of its total target of homes would be built by 2025, the 

Community organizations and municipalities in Ontario could get a piece of the $110 million in funding the province has committed over three years for emergency readiness, CP24 

In the run-up to Ontario’s 2023 budget, Toronto repeatedly called on the province to cover $510 million of the city’s projected pandemic-related costs this year — but beyond inadvertently meeting Toronto’s funding request for supportive housing funding, the provincial government fell far short of the city’s overall request, the 

Thursday’s budget also includes roughly $71 billion in spending on transit and $28 billion on highways over the next 10 years. 

TVO has a breakdown of that spending plan

Pharmacists in Ontario are being given the power to prescribe new over-the-counter medications, including those that treat moderate acne, canker sores, diaper dermatitis, yeast infections, pinworms and threadworms, and nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy, CTV 

Ontario’s finance minister says he’s prepared a plan with “targeted investments” to ensure the province’s economy stays resilient in the face of uncertainty but the sick day program — which gives workers three paid sick days during the pandemic — won’t be renewed after it expires at the end of this month, the C

Andrew Coyne writes Doug Ford released a 

Martin Regg Cohn writes the government’s books are in better shape but at ground level, the economy will be in 

Steve Paikin talks about his biggest pet peeve with the Ontario budget — the amount of money by which Ontario taxpayers are 

11 a.m.
Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance, and Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, to provide remarks and hold a media availability. Scarborough.

A roundup of news and agenda items for Friday, March 24.

Budget breakdown

Headlines

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