TACKLING THE DEFICIT

In the waning days of a desperate government, the Kathleen Wynne Liberals peppered the province with reckless spending promises. Many would have added to the already bulging Ontario deficit. So the fact that Finance Minister Vic Fedeli has managed, in a few short months, to start digging us out of the red is no small thing. Granted, the accomplishment has been modest — $500 million chiselled from a deficit that was $15 billion when he started — but still, the Progressive Conservative government is moving in the right direction. It is doing so, at this stage, mainly through a hiring freeze in the bureaucracy and reductions in spending. The tougher deficit-busting decisions lie ahead. As Fedeli himself warned, “Everyone across the province will be required to make sacrifices.” Still, it’s plain the government doesn’t want everyone to suffer. There are significant measures aimed at helping the poor. First, the PCs plan to exempt new rental units from rent control. We couldn’t endorse this more strongly; government price controls inevitably result in supply not meeting demand. Nowhere has this been more true than housing, and the people who suffer most are those struggling with low incomes. Over time, Fedeli’s policy should help alleviate the shortage of affordable rental units across the province. Of even more immediate benefit, the government will also introduce a tax credit for low-income Ontarians, which could mean up to $850 in relief for a single person, $1,700 for couples. Fedeli doesn’t want those who earn minimum wage to pay provincial income tax. Good. Unfortunately, the government has undermined its good intentions by deciding to terminate the position of Ontario Child Advocate. Although it may be true that, over time, the provincial ombudsman can absorb the workload, this office shone light on crucial challenges around the care of our most vulnerable, including First Nations children. And while it’s no surprise the Tories are axing the environment commissioner — environment is simply not an immediate priority for them — it’s unfortunate that the PCs plan to end the job of French Language Services Commissioner. Ontario’s francophone population has not always felt fairly treated; witness the bitter battle to keep Ottawa’s Montfort Hospital open under the Mike Harris regime. The decision that no French-language advocate is needed smells of straight-up electoral calculation: Francophones tend to vote more for Liberals than Conservatives. Eliminating these watchdogs will do little to safeguard transparency, which is at the heart of any good government. Fix the deficit, yes — but don’t erode accountability in the process.