So far, most everything the Doug Ford government has announced will cost money:
- $182 million for new OPP detachments
- $90 million this year for hospital funding
- $85 million for mercury disability benefits for the Grassy Narrows community
- $1.9 billion (over ten years) for mental health
- $1.5 million to aid the City of Ottawa recovering from the tornado
- $1 million for Kenora’s art centre
- 12% reduction in electricity rates
- Replacing the province-wide radio communication system used by the OPP and all other emergency responders
- Cancelling an increase in the beer tax
- $3 billion (over four years) to cancel cap-and-trade
Ontario is already $338 billion dollars in debt, and this will increase by $15 billion – plus the impact of cancelling cap-and-trade – more this year.
The PCs need ways to reduce spending, Doug Ford was given incorrect information when he claimed it would be too expensive to keep his promise to stop the proposed hydro-electric generating station at the Bala falls. In fact, Ontarians would save at least $70 million if the PCs stopped the Bala project (the government has announced Ontario has enough power for the next ten years, so this power is not needed).
And millions and even billions more can be saved if other unnecessary green energy projects are stopped.
The PCs have to find ways to reduce spending, and this can be done without cutting important programs that Ontarians need or selling Crown corporations such as the LCBO that generate huge profits to Ontarians. Stopping the proposed Bala project would be a good first step.