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We Can’t Afford Poverty: Ontario Alternative Budget 2006

Research Report by N/A

In a response to the March 2006 Ontario provincial budget, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives presented an alternative budget that it suggested would aid in developing a stronger public service system. Financial inequalities, public service deficits, and tax cuts are the three areas of focus.

Financial inequalities concern the cuts to programs for the most vulnerable in society, including social assistance, affordable housing and child care. In terms of child care, for example, the authors argue for a made-in-Ontario plan irrespective of the federal Conservative platform. The alternative budget allocates funding for a comprehensive childcare education program delivered in publicly regulated, non-profit facilities.

Public service deficits deal with a deteriorating service sector, which includes health, education and the environment. According to the authors, responses by the government to address these deficits have been uneven and inconsistent. For example, the government’s reversal in position on tuition from one of freeze to “double-inflation” increases greatly impacts the participation of children from low- and middle-income families. Even though assistance programs have been put in place, they do not go far enough to address the tuition increases.

The paper criticizes the lack of response the current government has given to the restrictive tax cuts Ontario faced in the mid- to late- 1990s. This has resulted in a reduction in the fiscal capacity (to tax cuts) of the province by nearly $15 billion a year. The authors suggest that instead of dealing with the issue, the premier has attempted to “mislead” and change the debate to one of fiscal imbalance.

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Policy Publication Details

Author(s):	N/A;
Publisher:	Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives [ Visit Website ]
Year Published:	2006;	Publisher Type:	Research Institute
Publicly Available:	Yes	Research Focus:	Provincial;
Registration Required:	No	Language:	English
Payment Required:	No	Publication Format:	Adobe PDF

Subjects / Categories:

Keywords / Tags:

budget; affordable housing; childcare; education; cities; environment; public infrastructure; income security; market basket measure;