Ontario

The Ontario budget was tabled on March 27th, 2012. Prior to the budget, the province held a Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services (the Drummond Commission). The following links provide information on the budget; reactions from child care, education, social policy groups and political parties; as well as information on the Drummond Commission.

Budget documents

Main budget website

Budget hightlights

News release: "Strong action for Ontario"

"The government will continue to build on its plan to have the world's best-educated workforce to ensure future prosperity in the knowledge-based economy by:

- Fully implementing full-day kindergarten by September 2014
- Keeping a cap on class sizes in the early grades"

Responses

Horwath proposal would put some fairness in an unfair Budget
Ontario NDP, 3 Apr 12

"People tell us we need a balanced approach to balancing the budget. If we have to choose between a working mom who needs childcare to keep her job, or someone earning a seven-figure paycheque, let's help that mom."

"New Democrats are proposing... to protect over 4000 childcare spaces so parents can keep working."

Child care already in an "age of austerity"
Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, 27 Mar 12

"Not only was there no funding to sustain child care programs, there was no mention of child care at all in the 2012 Provincial budget."

Completing the job started by Mike Harris
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 27 Mar 12

[The budget] touts its commitment to its initiatives in education. Yet elementary and secondary education will lose over $500 million in cuts identified in the budget.... Child care gets not a mention in the budget, a clear sign that the government intends to walk away from the chaos it created in the child care sector with its ham-handed implementation of full-day kindergarten.

Stringent budgeting for the poor, staying on course for the rich
Ontario Campaign 2000, 27 Mar 12

"The exclusion of child care from this budget is particularly concerning. Affordable, regulated child care is critical to the economic well-being of low income families with children under 4 years old."

Over $500 million cut from education in provincial budget
People for Education, 27 Mar 12

"Education is very expensive, but it is an investment, not just a cost, says Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education. "Each of these cuts will have an impact on students, on the quality of education, and on school communities as a whole."

Ontario budget delivers billions to bankers but job losses and deep cuts for Ontario families
Ontario Federation of Labour, 27 Mar 12

"Lack of funding will cause child care centres to close and force some working mothers out of the labour market."

Ontario needs a recovery budget, not a poverty budget
Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario, 27 Mar 12

"Balancing the books on the back of a child care worker who makes $28,000 a year or a school secretary who makes $35,000 a year while corporations are enjoying the benefit of huge tax cuts and refusing to create jobs is an outrage."

Austerity budget punishing Ontarians for a deficit they didn't create
Elementary Teachers Federation Ontario, 27 Mar 12