The top 5 promises made by Doug Ford and the Tories
A look at the top five promises made by Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives.
Cut taxes
Doug Ford pledges to scrap Ontario’s cap-and-trade system, reduce gas prices by 10 cents per litre, eliminate provincial income tax for people earning minimum wage, and lower provincial income tax by 20 per cent for people who earn between $42,960 and $85,923. Ford’s middle class tax cut would cost the government nearly $2.3 billion per year in lost revenue, while reduced gas prices would cost another $1.19 billion per year. Ford has not specified how he would make up for the lost revenue, but has said he will find “efficiencies” in the provincial budget.
Reduce hydro costs
Ford says he’ll lower hydro bills by 12 per cent and fire Hydro One CEO Mayo Schmidt, who earned $6.2 million in 2017. Firing Schmidt wouldn’t come cheap, as the CEO would be owed a severance payout of at least $10.7 million, according to the company’s annual shareholders report.
Upgrade transit
Ford says he’ll invest $5 billion to build and maintain subways in Toronto. He has also said he would expand GO Transit to Bowmanville and Kitchener, complete the expansion of GO into Niagara and support regional transit in Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Mississauga and Brampton.
Create jobs
Ford pledges to lower business taxes from 11.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent “so that more employers can invest, grow and create jobs in Ontario.” The move would cost the government $1.3 billion per year starting in the second year of his term.
Expand long-term care and mental health care capacity
Ford says he would create 15,000 new long-term care beds over the next five years and 30,000 over 10 years. The Tories say this will cost the government $62,000 per bed, per year, once each bed is in use.