2018 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa has unveiled the Liberal government’s last budget before the June 7 election. Here are the highlights:

MULTI-YEAR DEFICITS

After a year of balanced books, the Liberals are projecting a deficit of $6.7 billion for the coming fiscal year.

DRUG AND DENTAL PLAN

The Ontario Drug and Dental Program will reimburse up to 80 per cent of eligible expenses for those without other coverage. The plan will cover $400 per person, $600 per couple and $700 for a family of four.

SUPPORT FOR SENIORS

Several perks for seniors, including a new benefit for those living at home and full prescription drug coverage. Under the Seniors’ Healthy Home Program, those age 75 and over will receive up to $750 a year to offset home maintenance and other costs.

CHILD CARE

Parents with young children stand to save in the future, with the province promising to make preschool free for kids aged two-and-a-half and up. The Liberals say the program, which takes effect in 2020, would save the average family with one child $17,000.

HOSPITALS, MENTAL HEALTH

The province is spending big on health care, with roughly $19 billion earmarked over the next decade for hospital construction and renovation. That includes $2.4 billion for redevelopment of Toronto’s SickKids hospital, and a $1.8 billion project at the Ottawa Hospital.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The biggest pledge is aimed at improving on-reserve child care, with the government promising $40 million over three years in new operating funding. Other measures include targeted funding for mental-health care and $1 million to help provide healthy food to remote communities.

CANNABIS PROFITS

The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp., a subsidiary of the LCBO, is projected to lose $40 million in its first full year of operation. But by the 2020-21 fiscal year, it’s expected to bring in a net income of $100 million.

TOBACCO TAX

Smokers will pay about two cents more per cigarette starting March 29, as the province tries to get more people to kick the habit. Continuing a plan announced in last year’s budget, the price of a carton of smokes will go up by $4 per carton.

NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., which supports job creation across northern Ontario, is getting a boost from the provincial budget, to the tune of $85 million over three years.