Experts from all sectors agree that today’s Ontario Budget will support families today and strengthen businesses for tomorrow:
Mayor David Miller, City of Toronto:
The single largest infrastructure program in history of the province - $32.5 billion – that is really good news for Toronto… I’m confident we will get our fair share of that money and start to build the 21st century transit network that Toronto really needs… This budget will be very helpful to seniors living in Toronto
Carol Wilding, President and CEO, Toronto Board of Trade:
We looked for significant tax reform. There are big bold moves in there that will make quite a significant difference. [The Ontario Budget is] very powerful from a business community perspective.
Ian Howcroft, Vice President Ontario Division, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters:
Overall we’re very pleased with today’s budget, it addresses many of our long standing issues and priorities. I think that it shows that the government was listening. We’re particularly pleased with regards to the harmonization of the GST and PST, we’ve been advocating that for a long, long time. We’re also very pleased with the announced reduction in the corporate tax from 12% down to 10% so I think that is a very positive step for Ontario manufacturers, which ultimately will help the whole economy and all Ontario residents.
Catherine Swift, President, Canadian Federation of Independent Business:
Having some certainty that taxes will be going down over the next few years is welcome, especially in light of our current economic challenges
John Valley, Tembec’s Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Affairs, Tembec:
This is a very good budget for the forest products industry. In a period of obvious economic challenge and with many demands on the limited dollars available, the Province has made some precise, positive and strategic expenditures that will make a difference. The maintaining of the road funding put in place some years ago and the extension and enhancement of the electricity rate program will make a positive difference in our Ontario operations generally and at Tembec’s Kapuskasing newsprint mill in particular.
Stephen Dupuis, President, Building Industry and Land Development Association:
Buying a new home – nothing to worry about – no tax increase… we were pleasantly surprised that government listened to us.
Pat Capponi, 25 in 5 Poverty Network for Poverty Reduction:
This budget has moved the bar forward on housing, tax credits, and child benefits in ways that will make a tangible difference in the lives of many Ontarians.
John Stapleton, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:
This is a budget that favours low income people, and the working poor most of all because when you look at all the benefits, it is clear that the working poor and those with low wages are going to be better off as a result of the budget measures.
Gail Nyberg, Daily Bread Food Bank:
If you’re a low income Ontarian this is a positive budget, and I congratulate the government on recognizing that you can fight poverty and stimulate the economic scene at the same time. When you start to think about an extra $42 per month per child and start to look at the one time money coming back and the permanency of the tax credit, the harmonization tax credit, this will make some tangible difference – an extra $100 in these folks pockets are the difference between going to food banks and not going to food banks. We couldn’t be happier and we congratulate this budget, and this government on continuing the fight.
Adam Spence, Ontario Association of Food Banks:
I think this government took important steps in this budget. It’s going to put money in people’s pockets and a roof over their heads.
Donna Rubin, CEO, Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors:
Capacity in the health, housing and community sectors is a very serious challenge and we have high praise for steps such as these to strengthen the overall system and expand the range and availability of services. These initiatives will go a long way to ensuring that seniors receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
Dr. Ken Arnold, President, Ontario Medical Association:
Ontario’s doctors have been asking the government to invest in collaborative care models including Family Health Teams [FHT] and we are very pleased that the funding has been confirmed for this crucial health service to finally move ahead. The new FHT’s will help physicians and the government reach our mutual goal to find another 500,000 patients who currently don’t have a doctor find one.
Tom Clossen, President, Ontario Hospitals Association:
We got the 2.1% and we are very pleased about that – given these tough economic times the government could have chosen to flat line hospitals and they chose to enable us to move forward with what we have been planning to do for the last year. In addition there is the 2 billion dollars over three years and that’s a huge plus – its going to make the system more productive and that is one way of making sure that that happens.
Dr. Peter George, Chair, Council of Ontario Universities and President of McMaster University:
Today's investments demonstrate the Premier's continued leadership on higher education and recognition of its importance in driving innovation, economic growth and social well-being
Dr. Ravi Menon, Deputy Director of Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario:
It certainly sends a powerful message, I think, that while not all science in Canada is being supported well at the moment, Ontario is going to stand behind it's scientists and I think I can say the majority of the good scientists are in Ontario, we're a big province after all, and we can, at least, try to keep the brain drain from happening in this province. It sounds very positive from that perspective.
Dr. Paul C. Genest, President, Council of Ontario Universities:
These investments in new construction and campus renewal will provide our students and faculty with many of the modern facilities needed for a high-quality learning experience and cutting-edge research.
Anne M. Sado President George Brown College:
Our college is thrilled with the investment that Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) is supporting in CONII (Colleges Ontario Network For Industry Innovation). That's our network for innovation that focuses on small and medium enterprise. As you know, the colleges, thanks to MRI support, have been able to start developing capacity and capability for applied research so we're going to be able to continue that. We're going to able to expand the network and you'll see we're going to able to support small and medium sized enterprises which is, I think, the right thing for the Ontario economy.
Paul Davenport, President, University of Western Ontario:
We believe that the Premier and his government have got it right in terms of post-secondary education being the key to the future health of Ontario’s economy, and more importantly, the economy here in London.
Ted Hewitt, Vice-President (Research & International Relations), University of Western Ontario:
The provincial government’s continued commitment to support research and to provide advanced infrastructure and equipment is not only welcome, it is critical to keeping top minds and jobs in Ontario… By matching federal funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the province provides Ontario institutions with a competitive advantage and allows for greater investments that will better the health, welfare and economy here.