By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
As you, the hardworking taxpayer of Ontario, continue to bust your hump to provide for your family — juggling rising costs, longer hours, and growing uncertainty — the only solace being offered by your provincial government is that they are standing on the sidelines, first aid kit in hand, offering bandages instead of real solutions.
On Thursday, March 26, the Ford government delivered its 2026 Ontario Budget. At first glance, it feels less like a fresh plan and more like a rerun of recycling last year’s messaging without even the effort of a new title, once again branding it A Plan to Protect Ontario.
What is new, however, is the projected deficit for the coming year, which has nearly doubled to $13.8 billion. Just one year ago, that figure was projected at $7.8 billion. For a government that brands itself as fiscally conservative, that is a hard pill to swallow.
One of the simplest ways to make a dent in this $13.8 billion deficit would be to stop subsidizing electricity bills for those who do not need it…billionaires like Galen Weston for example. Each year, taxpayers hand over $6.9 billion to cover hydro costs for everyone. Targeting the subsidies only to those who need them could wipe out half of this year’s deficit, while freeing up money for healthcare, education, and our municipalities, all without raising your taxes.
I was looking for measures in this budget that would translate into real affordability measures. I was hoping for items that would genuinely ease the pressure on household finances, but I am hard pressed to find anything that will bring your costs down.
Representing a riding built on the backs of hardworking farmers, during pre-budget consultations I pressed this government to invest in agri-food processing — an investment that would shield us from tariffs, strengthen local supply chains, and secure Ontario’s food sovereignty. Any mentions of agriculture in this year’s budget were, in fact, recycled announcements from previous years. I remain perplexed as to why Ontario’s government does not show the respect our farm industry deserves when it is the largest and most diverse in Canada.
As for the government expanding the homebuyer tax break, I am convinced this is the clearest example yet of a bandage being pulled from the provincial first aid kit where they are offering a quick fix instead of addressing the deeper, systemic issues that are driving housing costs through the roof. Without knowing the full details of this rebate, I cannot help but be suspicious that it may be a little more than a bailout for developers struggling to offload small undesirable and expensive condominiums in the city. For homeowners thinking of putting a ‘for sale’ sign on their existing property, be aware you will now be competing in an even hotter, artificially propped up housing market.
In speaking with a local builder, the fear is real that in one year’s time this government will have decreased the equity in each of our houses by at least $100,000. Red tape is worse than ever for builders, development charges have doubled and tripled in some municipalities and skyrocketing land transfer taxes are the real barriers to housing affordability and market movement. Unless these items are addressed, when that bandage is ripped off in a year’s time, the wounds might well be deeper than before the bandage was applied.
On a positive note, I was heartened the government finally listened to those of us in the opposition benches calling for a reduction in the Small Business Tax Rate (SBTR). Our small businesses need this boost, and I hope the government sees fit to continue reducing the SBTR.
Ontarians are hardworking people, yet the government we rely upon to support and reward that effort is missing opportunities, resting on its majority status and content to hand out bandages instead of solutions. I will continue to unpack Budget 2026 in future articles.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk