Band-Aid Budget: More cuts, less relief, and a missed opportunity to strengthen Ontario

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition NDP and Shadow Minister for Finance Jessica Bell (University – Rosedale) have issued the following statement in response to the 2025 Ontario Budget:

“This is a missed opportunity to strengthen Ontario,” said Stiles. “The Premier and his government had a choice -- to build a tariff-proof future so Ontario can take on the economic uncertainties from Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs.

“For families already stretched thin, for the over-worked health care and education workers struggling to make ends meet, for the auto workers worried about their livelihoods – this budget delivers little hope and no reassurance.”

“Instead of choosing a future where workers and their families can get ahead, the government missed the mark with a budget that is full of cuts and no new investments in the services that people rely on,” said Bell.

"Over the past few months, the people of Ontario have been asking themselves: Why wasn’t Ontario in a stronger position to take on these tariffs? Today’s budget offers a clue.

“This year’s budget makes serious cuts to post-secondary education, fails to close the gap for our schools, doubles down on Ford’s housing failures, and delivers no relief for communities stuck with closed emergency rooms and delayed hospital projects.”

“Schools, homes, hospitals are nation-building infrastructure to strengthen Ontario and build a tariff-proof future. This is a band-aid budget that misses the mark on reassurance, relief, and results for the people of Ontario.”

The Ontario NDP has called for a plan to strengthen Ontario that will:

1. Accelerate public infrastructure projects — hospitals, schools, affordable housing so Ontario can address social challenges and spur job creation.
2. Investments in training and apprenticeships to build a resilient workforce.
3. A serious economic plan to grow Ontario’s economy, strengthen local supply chains, and bolster efforts to find new markets for Ontario goods and services.
4. A plan to protect jobs and implement tough measures to stop jobs and manufacturing from leaving the province.
5. Real income supports for workers and emergency funding for tariff-exposed industries

Background:

Missed opportunity to keep good jobs in Ontario: While thousands of jobs continue to leave the province putting workers and their families’ futures at risk, this year’s budget has no clear plan to stop manufacturers and equipment from leaving the province.

Missed opportunity in public education and child care: Now more than ever, we need to strengthen our colleges and universities to create a more resilient workforce, instead this year’s budget brings billions in cuts to colleges, universities, and stagnant funding to schools.

• $1.2 billion in cuts to colleges and universities
• No new funding for special education, school transportation, or the school nutrition program
• While schools across the province are facing deficits and classrooms are struggling with Ford’s $1,500 per student cut, the budget plans more of the same with three years of stagnant funding

Missed opportunity in housing: Our province is facing unprecedented economic uncertainty that calls for bold, generational ideas to build more homes and create good jobs. This year’s budget shows that Ontario is nowhere close to meeting their target of building 1.5 million homes, instead, we have fallen further behind.

• Housing starts are collapsing
• The rate of home construction is less than half of what is needed to build 1.5 million homes by 2031

Missed opportunity in healthcare: While towns and cities across Ontario are grappling with shuttered emergency rooms, urgent care centres, and delayed hospital projects.

• This year’s budget brings no solutions for communities like South Bruce Grey, nothing to stop the delays with hospital projects, no funding for new beds.
• $6.4 million in cuts to health care.
• $280 million over two years for private clinics.

Missed opportunity in public services: $266 million in cuts to Children, Community, and Social Services and $2.7 million in cuts to Francophone affairs, and $42 million in cuts to wildland firefighting.