By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
As I travel blizzard-condition highways across the province for the 2026 Pre-Budget Consultations on the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, my colleagues and I are presented with a stark, recurring reality — Ontario is at a demographic and economic crossroads. I’m not certain if this is reassuring, but we are not alone with the challenges we witness festering in Haldimand-Norfolk. While our small communities within our beautiful riding are unique, the challenges we face are not, and there’s certainly no correlation to the magnitude of the problem and the political stripe by which the area is represented.
Last week, while on the road in Eastern Ontario – Brockville, Ottawa and Pembroke – we consistently heard the ambition of government policy is colliding with the harsh math of inflation, a shrinking healthcare workforce, and a critical infrastructure shortage required to support a rapidly aging population.
Of course, the struggles within our education system were examined, most notably the chronic shortage of professionals needed to support students requiring extra attention. Ontario continues to face a severe staffing crisis, with nearly half of schools reporting daily shortages of educational assistants and support staff. I believe we must stop thinning these limited resources across a vast number of schools and instead consolidate them into designated classrooms or specialized centres. When I asked presenters if they would support such a bold consolidation, the consensus was clear: the current model is failing all students, not just our vulnerable learners. The majority felt the time has come to prioritize concentrated, high-quality education over the status quo, ensuring every student has reliable access to the specialized support they deserve.
Many committee discussions centred on the desire for seniors to age at home, a widely-praised concept that is an ideal goal. However, the effectiveness of this approach hinges entirely on having proper supports in place. Organizations like Senior Support Services of Haldimand-Norfolk are currently forced to do more with less.
Lori Holloway, the CEO of the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), emphasized strategic investments in community and home care are not just about senior comfort–they are a necessity for the entire healthcare system. By appropriately funding these sectors, we can divert patients from over-capacity hospitals and long-term care waitlists, which currently exceed 50,000 people in Ontario. Freeing up these resources ensures institutional care is available for those with the most complex needs while allowing others to live with dignity in their own communities. Ms. Holloway made it clear government will not build its way out of this crisis. I concur because the environment to build long-term care beds does not exist and government is not willing to help, case in point Dunnville’s Edgewater Gardens.
Switching to the tobacco file, the Committee heard from my good friend Lexi Ensor of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges. She emphasized the existential harms of contraband tobacco in
Ontario. As I have often stood in the House and said, this is not a victimless issue. Beyond the well-documented links to organized crime, it’s an industry continuing to undermine public health and erode respect for law. Simultaneously, the province is forfeiting nearly a billion dollars each year in lost tax revenue — dollars that could be applied to the province’s challenges. Ms. Ensor called on the government to include in the 2026 Budget a further crackdown, which I said could include the adoption of the Quebec model where contraband incidence rates sit around 12 per cent compared to Ontario’s 50 per cent.
This week, I’m back on the committee trail in Southwestern Ontario. New reports forthcoming.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk