The 2026 Ontario budget neglects core provincial responsibilities
The 2026 budget—much like previous budgets—fails to address the underfunding of health care, K-12 education, post-secondary education, community and social services, and rental and social housing—the core responsibilities of provincial governments. Despite reports showing that Ontario lags behind most provinces in most of these areas, this year’s budget makes no attempt to close those gaps.
Child & Family
Ottawa renews funding for Toronto youth-crime prevention programs
… it will top up funding for Toronto programs intended to prevent gun and gang violence among young people… to address the root causes of youth violence … “we cannot do it by arresting people to submission” … as of last year, Toronto saw a 43 per cent decrease in shootings and firearm-related incidents, and a 35 per cent reduction in youth shootings and firearm-related violence.
Ontario budget adds $1.1B for home care
Housing with supports is a key issue in a province that will hit “super-aged” status this year, when roughly 20 per cent of its 16 million people will be 65 or older… the budget… shows that the government sees long-term care as a “vital part of the foundation that holds our communities together and protects the people who “live, work and receive care in homes across the province.”
Education
Ontario’s funding is entrenched in last place, so far behind that it would take more than a 45% increase to match the second-lowest funded province, Alberta. Increasing total university funding by of 13.5% per year for five years would bring per capita funding in Ontario to the national average… The data shows that there is record demand from Ontario secondary school students for an Ontario university education.
Ford’s slashing of student grants holds poor students back and shows why we need a wealth tax
Canadians are fair-minded; we want to live in a society where economic rewards are dispensed — at least to some extent — on the basis of merit… We could come closer to being a meritocracy by imposing a wealth tax, which would take a bit from Canada’s grand fortunes so that poorer kids get a chance to live their dreams.
Employment
Every President Tries It. It Never Works.
Efforts to revive manufacturing are rooted in nostalgia. Once upon a time, manufacturing jobs provided a reliable pathway to the middle class… Not anymore… A smarter economic strategy would stop measuring success by the number of assembly lines reopened and start focusing on what actually raises living standards: productivity, affordability and the growth of the whole economy.
What Canada can learn from Mexico’s approach to U.S. trade
Mexico’s strategy offers a template for aligning with the U.S. without sacrificing sovereignty or respect for the rule of law. It is a far cry from a full North American customs union that some hope to achieve as part of the upcoming CUSMA review, which would unduly tie Mexican and Canadian trade policy to the whims of Washington, D.C… The recent China deal is a step in the right direction.
Equality
… Between [1999] and 2023, the top 10 per cent of wealthiest households in Canada have seen their net worth surge by 195 per cent. The bottom 10 per cent… has seen its wealth contract outright, by 43 per cent… We need to get a better grip on how wealth grows, who owns it, where it’s stored and where it’s hidden… And the potentially toxic social effects of such a disparity in possibility continue to fester.
How the Top One Per Cent Threaten Canada’s Future
A modest wealth tax that affects only Canadians with over $10 million in net wealth could raise nearly $40 billion annually. Ninety-nine per cent of Canadians would not pay it. Similar taxes are already in place in Norway, Switzerland and Spain, and California is currently considering a one-time wealth tax on billionaires. Canada is also the only country in the G7 without an inheritance or estate tax.
Health
Do trade deals put public health care up for sale?
… the introduction of a parallel, private-pay system in Alberta based on private health insurance and out-of-pocket payment represents a fundamental change to Canada’s public health care system. Alberta would have a difficult time restricting the newly created market to Canadian firms, even if the government wanted to, and once foreign investors become entrenched, they will benefit from the full force of Canada’s international trade obligations.
Supervised consumption sites are not beyond criticism: they can be better designed, better integrated and more responsive to the communities that host them. But improving them requires better policy, not selective evidence and site closures… Adding treatment capacity does not require removing the safety net beneath it.
Inclusion
The wrong people are being asked to pay for Canada’s crisis in health care
Starting on May 1, 2026, beneficiaries [of the Interim Federal Health Program(IFHP)]such as asylum seekers and refugees will be required to copay 30 per cent of the cost of supplemental health benefits, in addition to a $4 for every prescription filled or renewed… This also applies to dental care, physiotherapy, and mental health treatment. For refugees, these services are not optional; they are essential, and paying 30 per cent of their cost is simply not feasible.
I don’t have dental insurance. Do I qualify for the federal government’s dental care plan?
For Canadians whose annual income is between $80,000 and $89,999, the CDCP will cover 40 per cent of eligible oral health-care services; for those in the $70,000 to $79,999 range, the plan covers 60 per cent, and those whose income is less than $70,000 receive 100 per cent coverage. You can see exactly what’s covered on the government of Canada’s website. In many cases you will have a co-payment based on your adjusted family net income.
Social Security
Doug Ford could help solve Ontario’s homelessness crisis in one simple, low-cost step
The province’s social-assistance programs — Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program — include monthly allowances for basic needs and shelter, but recipients with no fixed address are ineligible for the shelter portion, which totals $390 for OW and $599 for ODSP per single adult. That can make saving for first and last months’ rent nearly impossible. The result is a costly and avoidable cycle: people without homes remain in shelters or unsafe situations because they cannot access the supports they need to help them secure housing.
Finally Mark Carney delivers a breakthrough for Canadians asking for help. Will it be enough?
The federal government recently announced the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), an income support designed to help Canadians afford the basics of life. For millions of people struggling to put food on the table, this announcement will mean immediate relief… it treats hunger as a policy problem rather than a charitable one… Ultimately, Canada’s food insecurity crisis isn’t caused by a shortage of food; it’s caused by a lack of income.
Governance
The Trump era demands we rethink Canada’s constitutional ‘nuclear option’
… everything that is happening in the United States, more or less, could happen here in a perfectly constitutional manner,” … thanks to the notwithstanding clause… The question is not whether Section 33 can be used, however, but when and how… In just the past six years, however, various governments have used it nine times… voters have proved generally disinclined to punish political parties who use and abuse the notwithstanding clause.
The 2026 Ontario budget neglects core provincial responsibilities
The 2026 budget—much like previous budgets—fails to address the underfunding of health care, K-12 education, post-secondary education, community and social services, and rental and social housing—the core responsibilities of provincial governments. Despite reports showing that Ontario lags behind most provinces in most of these areas, this year’s budget makes no attempt to close those gaps.
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