Local reaction to Ontario’s Action Plan

It’s a major investment in protecting businesses and individuals from a potentially crumbling economy brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bay of Quinte riding MPP and cabinet minister Todd Smith says his government’s $45 billion response to the pandemic will do just that.

Smith says a 25% tax credit for seniors investing in home renovations caused a lot of economic activity during the last recession a decade ago.

“It was very popular and I believe it will be popular again with our seniors making investments in their home when they can save up to $2,500 on a $10,000 investment.”

Smith also said his government’s $600 million investment in expanding broadband and cellular access in Ontario is much needed and will help keep the province’s economy competitive.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of a charitable organization concerned with poverty and food insecurity sees some good things in the Ontario’s new provincial budget.

Ruth Ingersoll of the Community Development Council of Quinte says the investment in broadband access is positive, along with tax breaks for small business and a committment for more long term care facilities.

But Ingersoll worries that tax breaks don’t really provide what a lot of families and seniors need and that’s a significant increase in income.

“It would have been good to see something going to the average family other than the one-time $200 payment in order to help them because I think that a lot of families, especially locally, are struggling with poverty and food insecurity.”

Ingersoll likes the government’s move to freeze tuition for post-secondary students and its offering of a second career program for people who’ve lost their jobs.

From a municipal perspective the mayor of the City of Belleville has concerns with the record spending ($45 billion) leading to a record deficit in the provincial government’s budget announced yesterday.

However Mitch Panciuk says the investment was the right thing to do in these COVID-19 pandemic times.

Panciuk says the budget’s focus on reducing electricity prices for business is excellent news for the 9,000 people employed in manufacturing in Belleville’s industrial park.

“A lot of those places were not competitive with other Canadian jurisdictions and the United States and now in fact we’re looking at the fact that our electricity rates will now be below the U.S. average and lower than any of the great lakes states that most of our plants are competing with.”

Mayor Panciuk also praised the investments in health care and broadband access.

The MPP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington riding says there’s no secret to what his government’s $45 billion dollar budget is focused on.

Daryl Kramp says it’s obvious in the document’s title: Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover.

“… primarily protecting and supporting society and all our province right now because of this covid reality that we’re dealing with and will be for a little while. So a lot of the budget will be devoted to our health care system and long term care.”

Kramp also says his government’s $600 million boost to investment in improving access to high speed internet is going to really benefit the economy, especially in areas like eastern Ontario.