Ford government spends billions while delivering little to Ontarians

TORONTO – Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Finance and for Treasury Board Jessica Bell has issued the following statement, in response to the Ford government’s release of the 2024-25 Public Accounts for Ontario that included $11.5 billion more than planned in spending, and the announcement of a hiring freeze across provincial agencies, boards and commission public bodies.

“Never has a government spent so much while delivering so little for the people of Ontario,” said Bell. “Agencies are not abstract line items. They include vital public services that people in our province depend on every single day, such as WSIB and ServiceOntario. At a time when Ontarians need these services most, it seems as though the Ford government is ensuring that they are inaccessible.

“Under the Conservatives, agencies like Metrolinx have ballooned to over 90 vice presidents. Meanwhile, college workers are on strike, hundreds of programs are being shuttered, and 800,000 people are without a job. The Ford government should focus less on patting themselves on the backs, and more on how they can spend in a way that actually improves the lives of Ontarians.”