The Ontario government will deliver a budget Thursday that is expected to lay out the next phase of its COVID-19 response.
The Progressive Conservative Government of Premier Doug Ford postponed delivering a full fiscal plan earlier this year, citing the economic uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The fiscal update it gave in March included $17 billion in COVID-19 relief measures, a projection that was later revised to $30 billion by the end of 2020-2021.
The province also initially predicted a deficit of $20.5 billion, which was later raised to $38.5 billion due to additional Covid-19 spending measures. The province has already said Thursday's budget will include details of the new standard for long-term care, which would see nursing home residents receive an average of four hours of daily direct care.
Premier Doug Ford has also vowed to spend $9 billion in program spending that has so far not been allocated. In a recent report, the Financial Accountability Office noted that the $9 billion could also be used to bring down what it projects will be a $37.2-billion deficit for 2020-2021.
The Ford government has previously signaled that it is abandoning its plan to balance the books by 2023-2024, in light of the unprecedented financial demands of the pandemic. The premier said last month that returning to a balanced budget will take place over "a number of years" and be done thoughtfully.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Opposition Liberal party called for the provincial budget to include immediate relief and sustainable funding for the hospital sector, mass hiring of public health staff to boost COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and paid sick days for all workers, among other measures.
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