PEMBROKE – John Yakabuski, MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is pleased the first budget of Ontario’s Government for the People delivered Thursday, April 11 by Vic Fedeli, Minister of Finance, protects what matters most, and contains absolutely no new tax credits, while providing $26 billion over six years in relief for individuals, families, and businesses.
“Budget 2019 focuses on protecting what matters most – our world-class health care and education systems,” the MPP said. “We need to make sure these vital services are protected for generations to come. This is also a plan that puts people first, while making Ontario open for business and open for jobs.”
The 2019 Ontario Budget is a comprehensive and sustainable plan that balances the budget in five years, stimulates job creation, and protects critical public services that people rely on every day. With this plan, the Province is ensuring value for money and targeting spending to frontline services, while eliminating the deficit.
The signature initiative of the budget is the proposed Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit. The CARE tax credit would be one of the most flexible child care initiatives ever introduced in Ontario, putting parents at the centre of the decision-making process. CARE would help low- and middle-income families with up to 75 percent of their eligible child care costs per year, including those for daycare, home-based care, and camps.
Another key item in the budget is dental care for low-income seniors. At least two-thirds of low-income seniors do not have access to dental care – and many end up in emergency rooms as a result. The government is investing $90 million starting at the end of summer 2019 to establish this new program to help Ontario’s low-income seniors.
Other key initiatives in Budget 2019 include a new Ontario Job Creation Investment Incentive to help businesses grow and create jobs, a “Digital First” strategy to modernize Service Ontario’s top 10 transactions and other government services, and a new auto insurance plan that puts drivers first.
“The 2019 Ontario Budget is showing the world that our government is serious about fiscal sustainability, protecting frontline services and making Ontario the best place to invest and create jobs,” said MPP Fedeli. “The Budget marks a new beginning for the Province that respects tax dollars, makes life more affordable, and ensures the government works for the people, and not the other way around. This is the approach of Premier Doug Ford and his Government for the People.”
Visit Ontario.ca/Budget to learn more about the 2019 Ontario Budget.
