Analysis | The great forgotten of the Ford government’s “electoralist” budget


Some candies may be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are some files that seem to be neglected in this last budget before the election campaign.

Francophones

Thanks to the modernization of the French Language Services Act, the Ford government promises to create more points of service in non-designated areas and promotes active offer, but no funding will be allocated for this this fiscal year.

The province explains that the costs associated with the changes implemented will be borne by the service providers. There will be no additional money from public coffers to expand the current offer and ensure active offer.

The Federation of Francophone Business People of Ontario deplores the fact that the Francophonie is not little present in this new budget.

If the FGA welcomes the Government of Ontario’s renewed support for it to support Francophone businesses and attract workers through its services and activities, it is unfortunate that the issues and questions affecting our community Franco-Ontarian do not mobilize more for this 2022 budgetdeclares the organization, in a press release.

Carol Jolin.

Carol Jolin, President of the Assembly of the Francophonie of Ontario

Photo: Radio-Canada / Hugo Belanger

There are no new measures targeted for Francophones, but measures have been announced to counter the labor shortage, particularly in early childhood, which is good newsaffirms Carol Jolin, president of the Assembly of the Francophonie of Ontario.

He is delighted that the government has committed to training and recruiting French-speaking staff to ensure that there is more active offer for services in French.

As part of its long-term care strategy, the Progressive Conservatives plan to invest $300,000 this year to support the development of information sessions and educational materials in French.

This investment will help make services more accessible to French-speaking residents of long-term care facilities and their familiescan we read in the budget document.

Environment

Unlike Quebec and British Columbia, the Ford government still has no plans to offer rebates to electric vehicle buyers to boost sales and reduce carbon emissions on our roads.

The Prime Minister said last November that he did not want to subsidize millionaireswho buy $100,000 carsopting instead to lower the price of electric vehicles by manufacturing models in Ontario.

The budget document points out that the province has attracted investments totaling $12 billion for battery manufacturing and assembly of electric vehicles. Much of this money comes from automakers and the private sector.

The province’s contribution is $686 million, matched by the federal government, according to the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

An electric car terminal.

The Ford government does not intend to offer an incentive for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles.

Photo: iStock

Although the envelope devoted to the Ministry of the Environment increases slightly, the Ford government’s green plan takes up very little space in this budget. Climate change is only mentioned twice.

The Progressive Conservatives also promise to develop a new provincial park, without however specifying a location, a timetable or a cost. It looks like a measure that we thought of at the last minutesaid in an interview with Radio-Canada the political scientist at the University of Ottawa, Geneviève Tellier.

Education

The Department of Education revealed last September a backlog of $16.8 billion in needed repairs to schools across the province. The needs are shouting and these delays are taking their toll on students and staff, teachers’ unions lamented earlier this week.

However, the Ontario budget plans to inject $14 billion over the next 10 years not only for renovation projects, but also for the development of child care spaces.

Necessary and adequate investments to support the well-being and success of students and education workers do not seem to be a priority for this government. »

A quote from Anne Vinet-Roy, President, Association of Franco-Ontarian Teachers

We are therefore a long way from a historic investment as we will have heardshe adds.

The province is still refusing to reduce class sizes, another repeated demand from unions.

A billboard with the Laurentian University logo

Laurentian University violated the French Language Services Act during its financial restructuring process, concludes the ombudsman of Ontario, in his report presented last month.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Yvon Theriault

Nor has the Ford government provided a lifeline for post-secondary education in French in Northern Ontario, particularly with the financial problems at Laurentian University in Sudbury.

The Ministère des Finances also confirms that there are no planned changes to the funding structure of universities and colleges.

Eastern Ontario

While the other regions of Ontario can take advantage of an array of goodies in this latest budget, the eastern part of the province seems to be completely forgottennotes Ms. Tellier.

In the infrastructure envelope, the Ford government plans, for example, to widen Highway 17 to four lanes between Arnprior and Renfrew, west of Ottawa, and to rehabilitate five bridges in the federal capital on the Highway 417, between Walkley Road and Regional Road 174.

However, these announcements are not new: the Minister of Transport, Caroline Mulroney, made the announcement last week, when she presented her plan to improve transportation in Eastern Ontario.

The train passes at full speed on the rails.

Ottawa’s light rail.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Francis Ferland

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson was hoping for more funding, particularly for the third phase of the capital’s light rail system and to build new housing.

The political scientist recalls that the region is often a stronghold for the Liberals in provincial elections, which could explain why it is relatively absent from the Conservative budget and the NDP platform, presented Monday.

The tax conservatives

The conservative base, which had hoped for a faster reduction in deficits, is already expressing its disappointment loud and clear.

Jim Karahalios, leader of the New Blue Party of Ontario, a party that presents itself as an alternative to the Progressive Conservatives, points out that Ontarians have not been entitled to the tax relief that had been promised to them. Doug Ford had pledged in 2018 to grant a 20% tax cut to middle-class taxpayers.

This Ontario budget continues the reckless spending of the previous Wynne and McGuinty governmentsays Karahalios. The Progressive Conservatives are trying to hide the fact that they have broken all their tax promises, including lowering hydro rates.

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy at a press briefing before the tabling of the 2022 budget.

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy

Photo: The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy promises to get Ontario out of the red by 2028, two years ahead of schedule. But even the Financial Accountability Office believes the province is on track to balance its budget by next year.

Analyst Geneviève Tellier says Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives trapped themselves because they have an electoral budget that is not going to please their base nor in the business community, struggling with inflation and severe labor shortages.



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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