March 22, 2007
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| Leona addresses the media: “By investing in Ontario’s children and families, our government is creating new economic strength and forming the foundation of a successful, caring and compassionate society.” |
New $2.1 Billion Investment in Children and a Return to Balanced Budgets
NAPANEE —The McGuinty government’s fourth Budget expands opportunity for all Ontarians by investing in our children, continuing to strengthen education, health care and infrastructure and balancing the budget, MPP Leona Dombrowsky announced today.
“Our government’s plan is working for our riding,” said Dombrowsky. “We are making our communities stronger through new proposed investments, such as tax savings for local businesses, $8.4 million for rural infrastructure improvements and funding of $1.2 to improve local transportation.”
Investments in Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington include:
- Local businesses will save $1.85 million in Business Education Tax rates as a result of our $540 million plan to cut high Business Education Tax rates
- $45,734 in federal transit trust funds to improve local transportation
- $1,232,670 for the Connecting Links program for transportation projects important to the municipalities such as:
- Highway 7 in the Municipality of Marmora
- Highway 33 in the Bath area in the Loyalist Township
- Highway 62 in Madoc for road improvements
- Highway 62 in Madoc for bridge improvements
- Highway 37 for Victoria Street in Tweed
- Highway 7 in the Municipality of Marmora
- $8.4 million in rural infrastructure improvements that could include:
- $900,000 for initiatives in the Addington Highlands such as Skootamatta Lake Road Project
- $1,860,000 for initiatives in Centre Hastings such as the Septage Management & Deer Creek Sewer Lining
- $289,000 for initiatives in Frontenac County such as the Frontenac Trail (K&P) Project
- $ 233,000 for initiatives in Hastings Highlands such as the Little Papineau Creek Bridge
- $304,300 for initiatives in the Municipality of Limerick for projects such as the Limerick Steenburg Lake North Road reconstruction
- $736,000 for initiatives in the Municipality of Madoc for projects such as Peck’s Bridge
- $1,790,000 for initiatives in the Municipality of Marmora & the Lake for projects such as the Marmora and Lake Deloro Distribution Repair
- $ 660,875 for initiatives in the Municipality of Stone Mills for the School Road Reconstruction
- $ 250,000 for initiatives in the Municipality of Tweed such as the Rural Hamlets Infrastructure Renewal
- $ 1,367,300 for initiatives in the Municipality of Wollaston such as the Rehabilitation of Former King’s Highway 620 from Lime
- $900,000 for initiatives in the Addington Highlands such as Skootamatta Lake Road Project
The 2007 Ontario Budget is giving families the support they deserve to participate in Ontario’s prosperity. The McGuinty government is helping 1.3 million children through a new $2.1 billion program. The new Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) would be available to all children under the age of 18 in low-income families, and would help ease the transition to work for parents receiving social assistance.
“By investing in Ontario’s children and families, our government is creating new economic strength and forming the foundation of a successful, caring and compassionate society,” said Dombrowsky.
In addition to the OCB, the McGuinty government’s investments proposed in this Budget to help children and families include:
- Increasing Ontario Disability Support and Ontario Works benefits by two per cent
- Increasing the minimum wage to $10.25 an hour in 2010
- Enhancing child care through an additional $25 million in 2007-08 and $50 million in ongoing support in 2008-09
- Launching new affordable housing initiatives
- Giving pensioners access to their money by allowing them to unlock 25 per cent of their locked-in funds and permitting pension income-splitting for senior couples
- Increasing benefits by 2.5 per cent each year for three years for 155,000 injured workers
- Making legal aid more accessible to the most vulnerable citizens in Ontario by investing an additional $51 million over the next three years starting in 2007-08
The 2007 Budget, which contains no tax increases, projects a balanced budget for 2006-07, the year second in a row, eliminating the $5.5 billion deficit inherited in 2003-04.
It also announces $125 million in immediate environmental initiatives. We will also allocate more than $200 million over the next three years to address climate change.
“The McGuinty government’s plan is working for Ontarians. Jobs are up, the deficit is gone, class sizes are smaller, wait times are shorter for key health procedures, and postsecondary education is becoming more accessible and affordable,” said Dombrowsky.
“We will continue to be focused and disciplined in our management of the province's finances, as we continue to expand opportunity through key investments in children and families, health care, education and infrastructure.”
