Patrick Brown defends PC election platform

TORONTO — A day after launching an election platform that promises billions in new spending, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown is defending his plan as an affordable alternative to the current Liberal government’s spending habits.

Brown says his plan, launched Saturday at a policy convention in Toronto, is fully costed and will not see a Tory government run deficits beyond its first year if elected.

The platform says if the PCs win the 2018 election they would run a $2.8 billion deficit in 2018-2019, posting modest surpluses which range from $8 million in 20192020 to $767 million in 20212022.

Asked if there was a risk a PC government would slip into deficit throughout the rest of its term, he denied the suggestion.

“Absolutely not,” Brown said. “We are going to pay down over one billion dollars on the debt. ... (The platform is) fully costed. It’s affordable. The numbers have been verified by senior economists in this country.”

Brown is referring to former federal Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page who the party says has reviewed the spending package and deemed it “reasonable”.

Brown also denied that the party’s strategy is to spend, instead of treading a path of traditional fiscal conservatism, in order to beat an Ontario Liberal Party which has won four consecutive elections.

“I think offering a pretty significant tax cut ... is giving significant relief that I know conservatives across the province are excited about,” he said.

Brown added that the Tory plan to repay some of the provinces’s debt — which sits at approximately $312 billion — is “music to the ears of conservatives.”

The Tory plan promises a tax cut for the middle class, a child care tax credit, a further 12 per cent cut to hydro rates and $1.9 billion in new mental health spending over the next decade.

The platform would also spend $5 billion to build new subways in Toronto and cover the costs of millions more in maintenance and infrastructure for the Toronto Transit Commission.

The Tory tax cuts would reduce costs for Ontarians with the lowest incomes by 2022. People making up to $42,960 would see their tax rate cut from 5.05 per cent to 4.5 per cent. People making from $42,960 to $85,923 would see their tax rate cut from 9.15 per cent to 7.1 per cent.

The plan would also introduce the Ontario Child Care Refund, a tax credit based on household income. Under the plan, a mother who earns $35,000 a year and has a child under six would be eligible for a refund of $6,750 in child care costs.

The PC platform — called the People’s Guarantee — contains more than 140 promises and will also keep many of the Liberal’s biggest spending initiatives. That includes a government plan to offer free pharmacare for anyone under the age of 24, all-day kindergarten and the free tuition plan for postsecondary students.

On Saturday, Liberal Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said the spending in the Tory platform was unrealistic.