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Affordability
Making life in Ontario more affordable.
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Care
Helping everyone get the care they need.
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Opportunity
Creating more opportunities that benefit all Ontarians.
What you need to know
We've identified four key projects that will help people afford the care they need:
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Free prescription drugs for seniors
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Better mental health care
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Free preschool child care
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Shorter wait times for care
Other top projects include:
- expanded drug and dental coverage
- new and renovated hospitals
- better services for Ontarians with developmental disabilities
- $935 million in new funding to support well-paying jobs
- a home maintenance boost of up to $750 every year for seniors 75 and over who run a household
- free college and university tuition for 225,000+ students
Seniors
Our seniors want to lead active and healthy lives. As the number of seniors in Ontario grows, we're caring for them by improving and expanding vital services.
We're caring for seniors by:
- making prescription drugs free for everyone 65 and over through OHIP+
- reducing home maintenance costs with a benefit of up to $750 every year for households led by a senior 75 and over
- providing 2.8 million more hours of personal support worker care and 284,000 more nursing visits
Learn how we're caring for Ontario's seniors
Child care
Many parents today are trying to balance family and career challenges. We're helping families by making it easier to access good and affordable child care.
We're helping with child care by:
- providing free preschool child care for kids aged two-and-a-half until they're eligible for kindergarten, starting September 2020
- helping families access over 100,000 new child care spaces
- increasing access to before- and after-school programs for kids up to age 12
Learn how we're providing better care for children
Health care
To help people get the treatment they need, we're lowering drug and dental costs and investing in hospitals, home care and health care workers.
We're making health care faster and better by:
- building and renovating hospitals through about $19 billion in grants over the next 10 years
- reducing hospital wait times and creating 30,000 new long-term care beds in addition to the 30,000 beds being redeveloped
- lowering prescription drug and dental costs for people who don't have workplace health benefits
Learn how we're providing faster, better access to health care
Mental health
One in three Ontarians over the age of 15 will struggle with mental health or a substance abuse challenge. We want them to get the quality care and supports they need. That's why we're investing more than $17 billion in mental health and addictions services over the next four years.
We're building a stronger mental health system by:
- making it easier for up to 350,000 more people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression to get psychotherapy
- giving every Ontario high school access to mental health support within the next two years
- adding 525 more supportive housing units for people with complex mental health and addictions needs
Income security
Ontario is at its best when all members of society contribute to the economic well-being of the community. That's why we're working to improve income security so all Ontarians have the chance to live a stable and secure life.
We're strengthening income security by:
- increasing Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program rates by 3% annually for the next three years
- increasing the amount of employment income that can be earned without impacting social assistance benefits to $400 per month
- simplifying the structure of social assistance rates
Indigenous communities
Ontario is building partnerships with Indigenous peoples to properly share the wealth and success of our province. We'll work with First Nation, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous peoples to design better programs and deliver better care.
We're building these partnerships by:
- providing programs and services that respect Indigenous peoples and cultures, including culturally relevant child care, local health care and a new school curriculum
- increasing food security by encouraging traditional food production practices
- awarding 34% more Indigenous students with OSAP funding for college and university
Jobs
People need good jobs that provide stability and a path to shared opportunity for all Ontarians.
We're boosting employment by:
- investing $935 million over three years to support Ontario businesses, students and graduates
- preparing students for good jobs through $132 million for postsecondary education programming
- planning to create and retain more than 70,000 jobs over 10 years by renewing and extending the Jobs and Prosperity Fund
Learn how we're creating good jobs
Gender equality
Women's equal participation in the economy is good for business and society, with the potential to add $60 billion to our GDP by 2026.
We're empowering women by:
- tackling the gender wage gap and increasing transparency when hiring
- working to end gender-based violence and help survivors through counselling, safe housing and support when navigating the court system
- increasing the number of women on boards, with a goal of at least 30% of all board positions filled by women before 2022
Education
Our public schools help all students succeed, while colleges and universities provide our economy with a highly skilled workforce.
We're improving education by:
- making college and university tuition free for more than 225,000 students of all ages
- supporting the creation of free online textbooks and educational resources for students
- connecting 250,000 students in 850 schools to high-speed internet in 2018
Innovation
As a national leader in innovation, we're investing to support the people and programs that advance our cities and our rural and northern communities.
We're promoting innovation by:
- providing an additional $85 million over the next three years to support job creation and innovation in the north
- proposing to enhance R&D tax credits to encourage businesses to invest
- expanding connectivity in rural and northern communities through a $500-million investment in broadband, cellular and satellite technologies
Consumer protection
Pensions, financial services and insurance require important protections for Ontarians and their money. We're updating laws to make sure consumers are safe and informed.
We're protecting consumers by:
- offering free online access to their credit scores at least twice a year
- making auto insurance simpler and more affordable, while reducing fraud
- creating the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario to keep financial services and pension plans accountable
Funding your ideas
In January 2018, the public cast 12,831 votes to choose which of the 13 Budget Talks ideas would be funded in the 2018 Budget. Here are the five selected ideas:
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This idea is a finalist and will receive funding
Increase mental health programs for students
This idea got 1,670 votes and will receive a one-time investment of $1 million.
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This idea is a finalist and will receive funding
Edible garden program in elementary schools
This idea got 1,448 votes and will receive a one-time investment of $1 million.
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This idea is a finalist and will receive funding
Increase access to healthy food in Northern Ontario
This idea got 1,407 votes and will receive a one-time investment of $1 million.
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This idea is a finalist and will receive funding
Housing for people with mental health issues
This idea got 1,267 votes and will receive a one-time investment of $1 million.
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This idea is a finalist and will receive funding
Research study to reduce food waste from retailers
This idea got 1,210 votes and will receive a one-time investment of $1 million.
Learn more
These pages further explain what’s in the 2018 Budget:
- News release: Delivering a plan for care and opportunity
- Minister's speech to the legislature
- Top 10 highlights
- Ontario's economic and fiscal focus
- Making everyday life more affordable
- More child care, more choice
- Caring for Ontario's seniors
- Faster, better access to health care
- A plan for care
- Growing Ontario's competitiveness and creating good jobs