Friday April 24th, 2015 – 10am – Provincial Budget
Posted Apr 24, 2015 12:16:34 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
10:00 – Provincial Budget
Kathleen Wynne, Premier, Ontario
It’s the morning after the tabling of the Ontario budget – a budget that the Opposition parties say will lead to higher electricity rates, fewer nurses in hospitals and cuts to other government services. It includes a pledge to eliminate the 10.9-billion-dollar deficit in two years by finding efficiencies, and ending some tax breaks for businesses. The Liberals also plan to sell off 60 per cent of Hydro One to raise money for public transit and infrastructure projects. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne joins us via phone now.
– 130 billion over ten years on transit and roads – 16 B GTA/Hamilton. 15 B over rest of province.
– all day two way go – no commitment to WR
– discount for motorists who use winter tires.
*N-D-P Leader Andrea Horwath says privatizing Hydro One will drive up already-high hydro bills and slash future revenues that could fund health care and education/gives to those who need it least/takes from those who need it most
*The Progressive Conservatives say the Liberals are playing a shell game with finances, and predict the Liberals will use money from the Hydro One sale to reduce the deficit.
– 100 million dollars in beer tax/generated on the backs of beer drinkers
*John Stall – Go down in History: billions in transit, changed the way beer and wine is made available since prohibition, first budget to start privatizing utilities like Hydro One.
*Labour council says budget sells Ontarians short by choosing privatization over tax reform
10:15 – Catherine Fife, NDP, MPP Kitchener Waterloo (Finance Critic)
10:30 – Michael Harris, Conservative MPP, Kitchener Conestoga (Transportation Critic)
Listen:
