The government is working to put the people first and improve choice and convenience for Ontario consumers. The Province is taking steps to revolutionize the way the government delivers services, such as education, health care and transportation.
Listening to the people
Ontario’s consultations included more than:
- 72,000 engagements on education — the largest education consultation in Ontario’s history.
- 51,000 responses on how to make auto insurance cheaper and easier to buy.
- 33,000 adult consumers and businesses on how to expand the sale and consumption of alcohol.
- 26,000 ideas to improve effectiveness and efficiency of provincial programs through the Planning for Prosperity survey and Big Bold Ideas campaign.
- 3,900 online surveys and 935 written submissions with ideas for the Budget.
- 2,000 submissions on how to make it easier to find more affordable and good-quality places to live.
Benefiting the people
Ontario is putting people first by:
- Making it easier to buy more affordable auto insurance, including giving drivers more control over their rates.
- Making the single largest capital contribution to new subway builds and extensions in Ontario’s history. It is committing $11.2 billion of the total estimated $28.5 billion cost to support four rapid transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), significantly over-delivering on the government’s initial commitment to inject an additional $5 billion in capital funds into subway extensions. The four projects include the Yonge North Subway Extension, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, and a new subway, the Ontario Line.
- Moving towards two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes on core segments of the GO Transit rail network, improving access and convenience for the people of Ontario.
- Creating a tailgating permit for eligible sporting events, introducing legislation to let municipalities make rules about alcohol consumption in public spaces, such as parks, and extending hours of alcohol service at licensed establishments, allowing them to start serving alcohol at 9 a.m.
- Establishing a competitive market for legal online gambling options that reflect consumer choice while protecting consumers who play on these websites.
- Taking actions to benefit electricity consumers by removing electricity system costs, for example, by terminating more than 750 renewable energy contracts, reducing costs by $790 million, and phasing out less effective conservation and energy efficiency programs, saving up to $442 million.
- Strengthening consumer protection when people purchase a new home and respecting Ontario property taxpayers with fair and accurate property assessments.
Putting people first
People should always be at the centre of government decision-making. The government is making Ontario the first province in Canada to require an all-of-government digital approach. This will change the way the province works – putting people at the centre of every service, program, policy and process.
That is also why the Province is ensuring that all government activities, such as new driver’s licences and licence plates, reflect a common brand standard and visual identity signifying that the Ontario government is working for the people.
The government will work to enhance ServiceOntario’s top 10 transactions, including the issuing of driver’s licences, health cards and vehicle permits. This will shift approximately 10 million in-person transactions to digital channels, saving up to $33.5 million over the next five years. By harnessing technology, the government is making more services simpler, better and faster for people — helping to reduce costs.