TORONTO--Ontario's economic recovery gives Premier Ernie Eves and his Finance Minister Janet Ecker the fiscal room to make good on the Throne Speech promises of public services improvements, Ontario Alternative Budget Working Group Co-Chair says.
In the OAB's annual pre-budget fiscal update, Hugh Mackenzie estimates that, based on recent provincial forecast updates by Canada's five largest chartered banks, Ontario can increase public services spending by $2 billion in 2002-3 without risk of a deficit.