Ontario Asks Partners to Find Four Per Cent Savings and Protect Front-Line Services

In a joint communique, MPPs Lisa Thompson and Bill Walker said that the Government is asking partners to find four per-cent in savings in order to protect front-line services.
 
The Ontario Government is encouraging municipalities and district school boards to protect core public services for future generations by finding savings of four cents on every dollar spent.
 
$7.35 million is being provided to large urban municipalities and district school boards interested in conducting line-by-line reviews to identify potential savings while maintaining vital front-line services through the Audit and Accountability Fund.
 
 
MPP’s Lisa Thompson, Bill Walker and Krystal Albrecht of Cravings Family Restaurant in Hanover
 
“Our government was elected to fix 15 years of Liberal mismanagement, put the province on a path to balance, and protect services like health care and education,” said Bill Walker, MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. “We campaigned on finding four cents for every provincial dollar spent and we are asking our partners in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and across Ontario to do the same.”
 
In Ontario, over 90 per cent of provincial spending goes towards funding school boards, hospitals, municipalities and other outside organizations. By providing resources through the Audit and Accountability Fund, the government is lending a hand to empower municipalities and school boards to work towards the shared goal of returning the province to fiscal balance, while making sure vital programs and services are maintained. 
 
“We share the same goal as our partners of protecting what matters most to the people of Huron-Bruce,” said Lisa Thompson, Member of Provincial Parliament for Huron-Bruce. “We want to encourage everyone to look for savings to make sure we can provide sustainable public services for our children and grandchildren.”
 
In the 2019 Ontario Budget, Protecting What Matters Most, the government put forward a plan that sets Ontario on the right path to achieving this goal. The government’s plan also saw an increase in funding for health care and post-secondary education, supporting municipal transformation efforts, while moving forward on reducing the province’s debt burden.
 
“Municipalities and district school boards now have the tools they need to find real savings and protect what matters most to the people of Ontario,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government is ready and willing to roll up our sleeves and work with anyone who shares our priority of returning Ontario to fiscal health.”
  • The Province of Ontario’s debt is currently in excess of $347 billion. Interest on the debt costs the provincial government more than $1 billion a month, or $36 million a day.
  • Over 90 per cent of provincial government spending is distributed to partners such as municipalities, hospitals, school boards and post-secondary institutions.
  • Through a comprehensive multi-year planning process, the government has found efficiencies and is delivering additional savings beyond the 2018-19 fiscal year while providing relief to Ontario individuals, families and businesses.