Statement by Ontario NDP Finance Critic Catherine Fife on provincial debt comments by Ontario’s FAO

Ontario NDP Finance Critic Catherine Fife issued a statement regarding  comments on the provincial debt made by Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer.

“The reason the Province’s net debt is increasing is because Kathleen Wynne’s choices are more about politics than about what’s best for Ontarians. The FAO has reported that Kathleen Wynne’s decision to sell Hydro One doesn’t pay for infrastructure, but will actually increase the debt. Instead of asking profitable businesses to pay their fair share, the Liberals have cut Ontario’s corporate tax rate so it’s lower than Alabama’s. It isn’t just that these decisions mean more debt; they have real impacts on people like longer waits in crowded ERs.  Schools and hospitals that need critical repairsare being left to crumble.

Ontarians deserve so much better than Kathleen Wynne’s  short-term, politically-motivated decision-making. They deserve a government with the right priorities, that plans for the future, and is focused on prosperity for all Ontarians.”