TORONTO -- Despite claims by the Harris government to the contrary, health care spending is not out of control in Ontario, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The study reveals that health spending has not kept up with inflation or a growing population, during the six years of Harris government rule.
Instead, after years of cutbacks, Ontario now has a $4 billion health care deficit, according to the study, prepared as part of the Ontario Alternative Budget project by Bill Murnighan, a researcher with the Canadian Auto Workers.
Ontario Alternative Budget
TORONTO--Six years of Harris government housing policy, including massive social housing cuts and growing handouts to private developers, has been a dismal failure, according to a technical report released today by the Ontario Alternative Budget Working Group of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
In its annual pre-budget analysis, the Ontario Alternative Budget Working Group has a simple message for the Harris Government: "Park the ideology and call off the dogs. Put the corporate tax cuts on hold. And put a stop to the attacks on education, health care, public infrastructure and the homeless."
Since the Mike Harris Government was elected in 1995, Ontarians have become used to Orwellian excesses in the titles for Government documents.
But the title of this year's Ontario Budget, "Responsible Choices" may set a new standard for doublespeak.
"The Mike Harris Government has its budget priorities all wrong", the Ontario Alternative Budget says.
"Instead of pouring more and more money into pointless tax cuts, attacking public education and undermining medicare, we should addressing the large and growing gap between the need for public services in Ontario and what the Harris Government is actually delivering."
The 2001-2 Alternative Budget sets out a detailed plan to invest over $10 billion in the renewal of public services.
In a study released today the Ontario Alternative Budget says that the Harris Government's tax cuts are the sole reason why Ontario is facing a revenue crisis.
The study documents that the Ontario fall economic statement "misrepresents the current state of Ontario's economy. It misrepresents our near-term economic prospects. It misrepresents the governments's fiscal position. It misrepresents the reasons for Ontario's tightening fiscal circumstances."