Report on cutbacks set for Feb. 15

Don Drummond’s long-awaited report on slashing government spending to eliminate the deficit will be released Feb. 15.

The ministry of finance confirmed Friday that Drummond, a former TD Bank chief economist hired by Premier Dalton Mcguinty’s administration last March, is finally set to unveil his 400 recommendations.

But in a series of interviews with the Star in recent weeks, he has already revealed much of his remedy for helping the province balance the books by its target date of 201718. Drummond wants to see health care overhauled so some services are delisted and several expensive procedures are discouraged; booze prices raised at the LCBO; more slot machines to raise money; and government ministries consolidated.

One of his most controversial recommendations was to reduce the number of Caesarean sections and hysterectomies performed.

He has said overall government spending increases must be kept to 1 per cent with health hikes limited to 3 per cent or less.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, who will deliver his budget the last week of March, has warned some departments could see 30 per cent reductions.

Still, Mcguinty has maintained Drummond is just providing advice, but the government will make the decisions on what will be done.

Balancing the budget by 2017-18 “will require that we slow down our spending, significantly,” the premier said last week. “We will protect health care and education, the most important public services upon which families rely. We will not raise taxes,” he said.