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The Doug Ford government will table a budget April 28, its final fiscal blueprint before hitting the campaign trail.
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“On April 28, I will table our government’s vision for a better, brighter future and our plan to get it done,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tweeted Thursday.
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario said this week that a robust economic recovery and strong revenue growth will improve the province’s bottom line.
The FAO now projects that the province will balance the budget in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, and run a $7.1 billion surplus by 2026-27.
The government has given itself no time to pass a budget during this legislation session so the document will serve in large part as a campaign platform for the June 2 election.
It is certainly not without precedent.
For instance, the Mike Harris government dropped a budget on May 4, 1999, that promised a balanced budget in the following year and a number of tax cuts starting on July 1.
On June 3, 1999, Ontario voters gave the Harris government its second majority.
The opposition parties have made substantial promises heading into the campaign.
Andrea Horwath’s NDP have vowed to bring in universal mental health care, a $25-an-hour pay floor for early childhood educators, an overhaul of home care and public and not-for-profit long-term care.
The Steven Del Duca Liberals have committed to five new provincial parks, a regional “living wage” at a minimum $16 an hour and a winter tire rebate of $300 per vehicle.