The Provincial PC-run government presented its 2026 Budget last Thursday, which Essex MPP (PC) Anthony Leardi said focuses on protecting Ontario workers and businesses.
The 2026 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario was the eighth consecutive PC Budget with no new taxes, Leardi boasted.
“That distinguishes us quite considerably from the previous Liberal government, which raised taxes practically every single year,” Leardi said last Friday afternoon, a day after Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy presented the 2026 Provincial Budget in Queen’s Park.
The revenue for the Province of Ontario is “higher than ever,” Leardi said. The budget totals $244B. “We’ve achieved an increase in government revenue without raising a single tax. We’ve increased the government’s revenues, because we are investing in a strong economy.”
Those investments are returning revenue to the government, Leardi explained.
“We are Progressive Conservatives. We don’t rely on taxes to build revenue. We rely on a healthy economy because a healthy economy is the basis, and provides the things that we want, like schools and hospitals.”
The Province’s deficit is still on a good track, he noted. “We are actually at 36% of Gross Domestic Product [GDP], which has been better than previous years,” he noted. “That is in stark contrast to the Federal Government, which [its] situation is getting worse.”
Ontario’s deficit is continually heading in the right direction.
Info from the Province on the deficit notes Ontario’s 2025–26 deficit is projected to be $12.3B, claiming that an improvement of $2.3B compared to the outlook published in the 2025 Budget. Over the medium term, the government is projecting deficits of $13.8B in 2026–27 and $6.1B in 2027–28, before planning for a surplus of $0.6 billion in 2028–29.
Ontario has received two credit upgrades from the major financial credit companies, he added.
He said the PC government has reduced taxes on gas, beer, and apartments – recognizing there are affordability issues.
“Now, we are going to eliminate the Provincial Sales Tax [PST] for all eligible buyers of new homes, which is massive,” Leardi said.
Info from the Province notes the full HST will be removed – in agreement with the federal government, subject to passage of federal legislation – for all eligible buyers of new homes valued up to $1M for a maximum rebate of $130,000 in relief to an eligible buyer. The amount would be maintained for new homes valued up to $1.5M.
On a $500,000 home, that would save a family $65,000.
“That’s a massive savings for a new family starting out,” Leardi said. “We are doing this because we need to get more housing onto the market and we need to get people into that housing.”
Previously, the Provincial Government removed its 10-cent-per-litre tax on fuel. That remains.
The Province notes it is investing an additional $107M over three-years, starting in 2026–27, to renew support for the Critical Technologies Initiatives program.
“The funding will help accelerate the development, commercialization, and adoption of critical technologies in key sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, automotive, life sciences, mining, defence, agriculture, and smart infrastructure. These technologies will help create new opportunities for businesses and increase productivity and boost Ontario’s innovation ecosystem and AI infrastructure,” the Province states.
Funding for mining indirectly supports some local manufacturing, which needs critical minerals for its production.
The Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario, he said, will provide the critical minerals needed for this region. “We are going to open up that Ring of Fire for development, and we are undertaking the road to that Ring of Fire five-years earlier than predicted,” Leardi said.
In speaking to Healthcare, Leardi said the Province has increased its spending to $101B. In 2018, he said the Healthcare Budget was $62B. “That’s a 63% increase since this government took office,” he said.
Locally, he said, that will be noticed as work continues on the new acute care hospital for this region, which is now in its tendering phase.
More people will also be connected to a primary care provider. For example, the Kingsville office of the Essex County Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic has been able to take on 2000 new patients over the past two-years.
“You are going to see that happening more,” he said.
The Budget highlights expanding Ontario’s four-year investment in the Primary Care Action Plan to $3.4B from 2025 to 2029, furthering the Province’s plan to connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor or primary care provider.
Leardi noted the Province is also investing in new long-term care homes, such as the one under construction in Amherstburg and the other close to completion in Belle River.
A new school, Leardi added, has also been announced for Lakeshore.
“The previous Liberal Government did not invest in classrooms,” Leardi claimed. “Our Government is sending $750 to every elementary home room teacher to buy the necessary materials they need.”
That allows teachers to purchase what they need in the classroom through the Classroom Supplies Fund to reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
The aim, according to the Budget, is to improve student achievement and prepare students for the future. That is a $66M per school year commitment.
“Ontario is navigating economic challenges with a pragmatic and prudent fiscal plan,” Minister Bethlenfalvy has stated. “To help the Province navigate these times and come out stronger, we are investing in strategic priorities, such as energy, critical minerals, key infrastructure, and critical technologies that will make our economy stronger, while cutting red tape and creating the conditions for businesses to grow, supporting workers, and strengthening Ontario’s economy.”
Also proposed in the Budget is to cut the small business Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate from 3.2% to 2.2%, effective July 1, 2026. By cutting the rate by more than 30%, over 375,000 Ontario small businesses would benefit from an additional $1.1B in CIT relief over the next three years, it notes
Increasing funding for the Ontario Autism Program to nearly $1B annually is also included, which will “enable more children and youth to access core clinical services, while further strengthening sector capacity across the province.”
The Ontario NDP, which is the Official Opposition Party, however, has given “[Premier] Doug Ford’s 2026 Budget an ‘F’ for failing Ontario.”
In a press release the NDP issued, Party Leader Marit Stiles stated, “This budget fails the test to meet Ontario’s priorities.
“Young people and families are struggling with sky-high rents, fewer opportunities, and soaring costs. Budget 2026 was an opportunity to deliver hope and relief for our province during a difficult moment.
“Ford’s latest budget makes enormous cuts to education, colleges and universities, jobs, and housing, while somehow finding tax dollars for a new Ferris wheel,” Stiles added. “Budgets are about choices, and Doug Ford’s choices are costing you.”
To view Ontario’s 2026 Budget, visit: budget.ontario.ca. It will be presented and voted on in Queen’s Park in the near future.
