The Member of Provincial Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound feels Wednesday's budget announcement frames the provincial government around healthcare, helping businesses and helping families.
Bill Walker spoke to CKNX shortly after Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy presented a budget plan at Queen's Park that projects Ontario will spend $186.1 billion this year, with net debt expected to hit $440 billion in 2021 and debt-to-GDP to exceed 50% by 2024.
$1.7 billion has been set aside for businesses that can prove revenue was impacted by lockdowns with the ability to apply for cash grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000.
Walker says the budget "helps families get through this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic challenge, and come out the other side healthy, and whatever our semblance of normality is at that time".
Health care continues to be a talking point for the Progressive Conservatives, with $3.3 billion for a combination of its vaccine rollout plan and expanded COVID-19 testing, as well as for long-term care to the tune of $933 million for LTC spaces.
Walker noted his riding "has a new long-term care facility being built in Owen Sound, a new facility being built in Meaford, a new facility approved for Markdale, and Rockwood Terrace in Durham being redone, so those are four right in our own backyard that are going to have a huge impact".
$2.1 billion of the budget has been allocated to hospitals to address a massive backlog of surgeries, and to assist groups disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
However, more than $100 billion in new debts and deficits were announced that are not likely to end before 2029, with the deficit for 2021-22 now projected to be in the neighbourhood of $33.1 billion.
Realistically, Ontario is unlikely to see a balanced budget until at least 2029.
When asked what he would say to detractors that have a problem with the provincial government adding so much new money into debt and deficits, Walker said "we did what we felt was practical, necessary and frankly, the priority. That was protecting people's health and safety, and we had to do what we did to give people the ability to survive and get through this pandemic".
Walker continued, "We will always try to get back to balanced budgets because we stand firm on this principle: Every dollar you're spending on interest is a dollar that doesn't go to the front line. People need to know that they have the services and programs that they need, and then we'll start to work on what the future is going to hold, and how we'll manage that".
Meanwhile, Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca released a statement Wednesday evening in response to the budget, saying it "shows that Doug Ford has decided the pandemic is already behind him, abandoning every Ontario family still in crisis".
