NDP drags Ford for bragging about cuts

QUEEN’S PARK — The Official Opposition NDP blasted the Doug Ford government on Friday for bragging about just how much it had taken the axe to critical public services, so far.

On Friday, Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy and Minister of Finance Rod Phillips announced that, including pension liabilities, the Ford government had calculated the Liberal budget deficit at $11.7 billion for 2018-19 — and that the Ford government had cut that to $7.4 billion.

“After the Kathleen Wynne government was finished letting people down, Doug Ford barged in to make devastating cuts to services that everyday families really count on,” said NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh. “It’s appalling that ministers were bragging about that today, even while students are crammed into crowded classrooms and children with autism have been going without the supports they need.”

Changes between budget 2018 and the actual spending revealed Friday are:

• $293-million cut from the Education sector
• $700-million cut from the Children’s and Social Services sector
• $100-million cut from the Justice sector
• $5.2-billion cut from planned infrastructure spending

Both governments also failed to get transit built, accounting for most of the unspent infrastructure spending.

“People continue to have to wait and wait for the train to come, only to have to jam onto public transit once it shows up,” said Singh. “Doug Ford should not be bragging about how much money he’s saved by failing to get transit built.”