Ernie Hardeman Weighs In on Provincial Budget

Friday, 26 February 2016 07:17

The MPP for Oxford County has a few concerns about the Ontario Budget announced yesterday

The Ontario Budget was announced yesterday and the Liberals are still promising the balance the books within the next couple years.

The 133 billion dollars spending plan includes free post secondary for students whose household income is less than 50 thousand dollars, an increase to health cares sectors including palliative, cancer care, and redesigning and consolidating services for children and youth with autism.

The cap and trade system was also brought up again, which the Liberals say will be used for green initiatives.

Opposition members aren't convinced, including Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman.

"The main focus of the budget seemed to be that they will put in a carbon tax. They call it 'Cap and Trade' but it's a carbon tax. It's supposed to help climate change but in fact the money is going into the consolidated revenue fund for the government to spend as they see fit."

Hardeman also believes there are tough times ahead for rural Ontario: "They've cut the budget for agriculture by 27 million, they've increased on executive offices for the running of government by 36 billion dollars. So it seems that the budget is more interested in looking after government than in looking after the people of rural Ontario."

And despite the funding going into some health care sectors, Hardeman says low income seniors will be feeling the pinch of this new budget. "They've increased the co-payments that seniors must pay under the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. For the prescription fee they are going to almost double the fee that low income and seniors have to pay to get prescriptions filled. They're on fixed income and all of a sudden there's another hit for them when they have to go get prescriptions."

According to the budget some seniors will see the annual deductible in the program increase to $170 dollars a year - an increase of $70 - and will co-pay a dollar more per claim. The government is also increasing the income thresholds on those same deductibles so some seniors will pay less while others pay more. The province has also promised to take another look at the entire drug program by 2019.