Promises Made, Promises Kept

We were elected to deliver on our Plan for the People of Ontario and every day since June 7th, our focus has been on keeping our promises and delivering real results for you … Today, Ontario families, workers and businesses have more money in their pockets, we’ve cleaned up a lot of the hydro mess, and we have sent a clear message to the world that Ontario is open for business. While there is a lot of work left to do, we’re off to a great start.¹

The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario

Ontario’s Government for the People has been acting quickly and purposefully to deliver its Plan for the People. Since taking office last June, the government has made significant progress in rebuilding Ontario and fulfilling its promises to the people. This Budget builds on the promises made, promises kept.

Highlights over the last nine months include:

A Government That Will Be Accountable

• Accepted the retirement of Hydro One’s former chief executive officer and the resignation of the board of directors; took action to bring its executive compensation in line with comparable utilities, and ensured greater transparency and accountability at Hydro One
• Announced the results of the Independent Financial Commission of Inquiry (Commission), revealing the previous government’s actual deficit for 2018–19 was $15 billion
• Announced a Select Committee to investigate past accounting practices
• Released the Fall Economic Statement and third quarter report on Ontario’s finances showing a combined $1.5 billion reduction in the deficit
• Released the EY Canada line-by-line review report of government spending
• Launched the Audit and Accountability Committee to achieve value for every tax dollar spent
• Launched a centralized procurement strategy that is projected to save $1 billion annually

A Government That Trusts Taxpayers

• Froze driver and vehicle licence fees
• Increased access to snowmobiling licences and safety information online
• Introduced free GO Transit rides for kids 12 and under
• Froze all hunting and fishing fee increases and removed the $2 service fee
• Began delivering better regional transit across Ontario including:
  • Increased GO Train service in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
  • Partnerships with the private sector to build new GO stations at Woodbine and Mimico
  • Historic two-way weekday GO Train service between Toronto and Niagara Falls
  • A Terms of Reference with the City of Toronto on uploading the subway and building transit faster
  • Announced $1.2 billion in funding for the Ottawa LRT
• Issued the “Buck-A-Beer” Challenge
• Halted the beer tax hike
• Terminated wasteful energy contracts, including the White Pines Wind Project
• Lowered energy costs, including supporting $200 million in savings at Bruce Power being provided back to electricity consumers
• Scrapped the Green Energy Act to protect consumers and restore municipal authority over energy projects
• Passed legislation to end the cap-and-trade carbon tax
• Introduced the Fixing the Hydro Mess Act, 2019 to reform the electricity system to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and lower rates
• Scrapped the Drive Clean program effective April 1, 2019
• Released a made-in-Ontario plan to protect and preserve the environment
• Invested $200 million in 405 small and rural municipalities to improve service delivery
• Introduced legislation to provide consistent, fair and transparent access to service animals in schools
• Eliminated property taxes for Ontario branches of the Royal Canadian Legion halls
• Helped to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) by cutting red tape
• Opened a new rest area in Gananoque to improve road safety along Highway 401
• Prevented large-scale power outages across Ontario by passing the Labour Relations Amendment Act (Protecting Ontario’s Power Supply), 2018
• Supported connecting the Pikangikum First Nation community to Ontario’s electricity grid
• Responded to the forest fire crisis in Northern Ontario
• Freed police officers from SIU oversight when administering life-saving naloxone
• Reformed police record checks to cut red tape and protect privacy
• Invested $25 million to fight guns and gangs
• Announced nine new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments
• Increased fairness for Ontario’s firefighters to better protect communities
• Improved the province’s correctional system, including through the hiring of more correctional officer graduates, and enhanced security at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre in London
• Introduced the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019 to restore respect for police officers
• Announced support for first responders across Ontario by planning to replace the Public Safety Radio Network
• Acted to protect kids, safeguard communities and combat the illegal market following federal legalization of cannabis:
  • Enacted cannabis retail legislation and strict regulations for private stores
  • Enacted a phased approach to retail licensing due to national supply shortages
  • Provided municipalities with $30 million to assist with the implementation costs of legalization

A Government That Will Respect You

• Introduced a new Low-income Individuals and Families Tax (LIFT) Credit, that will eliminate or reduce Ontario Personal Income Tax for low-income Ontario taxpayers who have employment income
• Reformed OHIP+ to support people in greatest need
• Guaranteed that funding levels will be maintained for victim services programs in 2019–20
• Supported projects to upgrade and repair buildings to sustain vital community agency services for children and families
• Reduced college and university tuition fees by 10 per cent starting in the 2019–20 academic year
• Passed legislation to get York University students back to class
• Took action to ensure drinking water safety
• Reduced wait times for mental health and addictions care
• Signed two bilateral agreements with Health Canada that will provide Ontario with funding to support a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions system
• Expanded hospice care
• Provided tornado recovery assistance funding to Ottawa
• Took action to end hallway health care and invest in services vital to the people of Ontario, including:
  • Delivered a long-term plan to modernize the public health care system and to centre care on the patient
  • Provided 128 hospitals with funding to upgrade and maintain their facilities
  • Opened the new facilities at Trillium Health Partners’ Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga
  • Added 200 hospital beds in the Greater Toronto Area 
  • Saved the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in West Niagara
  • Invested in expanded care for people in the Niagara Region at the Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre 
  • Announced support for Wallaceburg Hospital planning  
  • Announced 16 additional long-term care projects that will add 1,157 new beds across Ontario
• Improved supports in rural and remote communities for women escaping violence and sexual exploitation
• Doubled investment to help prevent sexual violence on campus
• Enhanced supports for children with autism
• Unveiled the government’s vision for “Education that Works for You”

A Government That Will Create and Protect Jobs

• Delivered early on the government’s commitment to cut corporate income taxes through the Ontario Job Creation Investment Incentive
• Supported 7,500 jobs at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and across Ontario
• Supported the new Lower Don project in Toronto by cutting red tape
• Supported the reduction of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) premiums
• Improved airport terminals
• Supported rural communities by providing an additional $10 million per year to ensure the long‑term sustainability of horse racing
• Supported jobs for Sault Ste. Marie steel workers
• Announced historic investments in Northern Ontario’s mining and forestry sectors
• Passed the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018
• Confirmed the East-West Tie Project to ensure the availability of electricity while creating jobs for Indigenous peoples and local communities in Northern Ontario
• Expanded access to natural gas
• Brought jobs and affordable heating to Northern Ontario with support for a new liquefied natural gas plant in Nipigon
• Announced a more efficient process for selling surplus government properties
• Introduced the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018 to cut red tape and create good jobs
• Expanded Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot program
• Launched new technology at truck inspections to save commercial carriers time, money and fuel
• Announced $27.5 million in support of Indigenous economic development
• Saved businesses $5 million by making health and safety training available online
• Made life easier for farmers who experience livestock and crop losses
• Cut red tape to bring new studded tires to market in Northern Ontario
• Released a made-in-Ontario emissions performance standards proposal 
• Launched a 10-year plan for auto industry competitiveness, innovation and talent — Driving Prosperity
• Supported the agri-food sector by opening up support under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership
• Reduced red tape for beef farmers
• Supported Indigenous training and employment in Sault Ste. Marie’s IT sector, creating 57 full-time jobs
• Created a special Mining Working Group to reduce red tape and attract major new investments to Northern Ontario
• Introduced a more accessible internship program to create more jobs for Indigenous, skilled workers
• Cut red tape for boat, snowmobile and off-road vehicle industries by allowing dealers to use one service plate for multiple deliveries 
• Launched new digital labour relations resources to reduce paperwork and red tape
• Launched the first stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which will unlock up to $30 billion in new projects across the province