Never having been much of a fan of Ontario Premier Wynne, I suspected that the recently revealed Ontario budget was more of a deathbed repentance than a bold plea for more time as premier. It was when listening to the objections of Doug Ford for the conservatives and Andrea Horwath for the New Democrats, Wynne’s strategy became clear.
Is there really any alternative?
We have to face the fact that increasing the miserly amount the Ontario government provides through the Ontario Persons with Disabilities Program had to happen. People unable to help themselves have been starving on that program. People like that would never be on Doug Ford’s radar. Andrea Horwath will only tell you that the annual increases planned are not enough.
And what does Ford care about day care for the youngest children? It only makes sense when you start to provide free day care for the most vulnerable.
And why should a millionaire such as Ford care about the hundreds of dollars our seniors are paying in co-payments for drugs every year? As we progress towards full Pharmacare to go with Medicare, let us, at least, get rid of the irritants.
But what else can Wynne do? We know that a complete national prescription drug plan is needed. We know it will save the country billions in health care costs. Because a healthy society saves us money. It increases our productivity and our enjoyment of life.
To Doug Ford, this all smells of waste. He wants cuts. He wants to cut taxes for his rich friends. He wants to cut funds to education that the Liberals want to increase. He wants cuts to welfare for people who are struggling now to feed themselves. And where is he going to make cuts in health care?
Andrea Horwath and her New Democrats say that it is never enough and Doug Ford and his conservatives tell us that there is too much waste. He thinks a balanced budget is more important.
Ontario has a gross domestic product each year of close to $800 billion. If we create debt at less than one per cent of our GDP, we are hardly wastrels. Our infrastructure can be built on debt. Bridges, roads, subways and buildings will serve us for many years and it is practical to pay for these needs over time as we are using them.
I figure that if these liberal promises pass muster with a miserly banker such as finance minister Charles Sousa, it is okay with me.
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Copyright 2018 © Peter Lowry
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