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Oxford MPP Erie Hardeman Praises 2021 Budget

Thursday, 25 March 2021 at 10:10

Oxford MPP and Minister of Agriculture Ernie Hardeman called the Heart FM studio this morning to talk about the Ford Government's 2021 budget and how it will benefit his constituents in Oxford.

OXFORD COUNTY - Minister of Agriculture Ernie Hardeman says the Ford Government's 2021 budget is great news for the people of Oxford County and beyond.

Oxford's MPP called the Heart FM studio this morning to talk to Dan and Marcie about the budget that was just unveiled yesterday. It's the largest budget in the provinces history and it includes a deficit of $33-billion.

"It's all about protecting people's health and protecting the economy."

The budget includes $51-billion in spending in the fight against COVID-19. Hardeman says this includes $1-billion for a province-wide vaccination plan plus $2.3-billion for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. It also sets aside $1.8-billion for hospitals to build capacity and address surgery backlogs.

Hardeman was also quite happy to hear that the province is setting aside $175-million for mental health and addictions.

"We've heard a lot of about it, we've had roundtables on it and I'm glad that the Minister is taking it seriously."

Hardeman says the province is also going to invest $2.8-billion to make sure everyone in Ontario had access to broadband internet by 2025. He says it's the largest single investment towards expanding broadband in Canada's history.

Hardeman also talked about the investments towards long-term care, small business support and the increased payout for child benefits. You can listen to to the full interview below;

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