There isn’t much to applaud in the province’s 2024 budget, says Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates.
In an interview with The Local after the government tabled its spending plan that comes with a projected $9.8-billion deficit, Gates went over some of the areas in which he feels people in his riding are being left out.
Healthcare is one of them, said Gates, claiming the province continues to “double down” on plans for privatization.
“If you’re continuing to invest in private healthcare, you’re sucking dollars out of the public system,” said Gates, noting Niagara Health officials recently estimating a $12 million deficit.
He’s also disappointed the province did not address the planned summer closure of Fort Erie’s urgent care centre, saying that it staying open would play an important role in alleviating pressures from Niagara’s emergency rooms.
“I continue to say that’s a mistake,” he said, adding that the family doctor shortage across Niagara and the rest of the province is not addressed in the budget.
Niagara is mentioned in plans for GO Transit, Gates said, but a push for two-way, all-day service has been left out, something politicians in the region have been fighting for since 2014, and would relieve Niagara’s “jam-packed” highways.
However, there are a couple of things in the budget Gates admits he appreciates.
The province announced it is launching a new $200 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund to invest in new and upgraded sport, recreation and community facilities. “That might be the one thing I can say I like,” he said.
He also said he is glad to see the elimination of a 6.1 per cent tax on products sold at winery retail stores, the result of a motion he brought to Queen’s Park in 2019 and has since been supported by industry groups as well as municipal and regional politicians in Niagara.
“We didn’t just do it on our own,” he said, adding he hopes to find more clarity on when the tax will be scrapped.
The Shaw Festival has recently said its Royal George Theatre is in a state of disrepair and needs major renovations to stay in operation, and Gates said he’s been communicating with the ministry of tourism about a need for provincial support, which he hopes can still come even though it’s not included in the budget.
“That creates an enormous amount of tourism for Niagara-on-the-Lake,” he said.
Many non-profit social service agencies have said for years that they can’t stretch funding anymore without cutting programs, NDP finance critic Sandy Shaw noted.
Gates agreed, and said several organizations have contacted his office about their struggles, saying they need at least a five per cent increase to what the province gives them, just to stay afloat. “Not-for-profits all over Niagara are hurting.”
Gates is also concerned there is “not one word mentioned” related to agriculture and protecting farmland.
Spending will reach another all-time high this fiscal year: $214.5 billion, up from $207.3 billion last year, which itself was over $2 billion more than planned.
Revenues are projected to grow by just $1.4 billion from last year, before shooting up by $11.7 billion in 2025–26, to $217.4 billion.
Gates said the budget does not help people who are having a tough time. “If you’re struggling to buy groceries, pay your rent, have a house, there’s nothing in the budget that’s going to help you,” he said.
The Ontario government said in a news release that it’s proud not to be raising taxes.
“In the face of global economic uncertainty and high interest rates that continue to put pressure on Ontario families, our government is taking a responsible approach by investing to rebuild Ontario’s economy without raising taxes,” said Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy.
“As we invest in key public services and infrastructure, including new roads, highways and the largest public transit expansion in North America, we refuse to offload the costs onto hardworking Ontario families or municipalities at a time when they’re counting on us to keep costs down," he added.