Currently, Minister of Finance Rod Phillips is presenting the Ontario Government’s Budget in the Legislative Assembly. This the first Budget plan since the start of the Pandemic. The Budget provides a three-pillar plan to continue the fight against COVID-19 and to rebuild the economy:
- PROTECT: $7.5 billion in new spending on healthcare to address growing needs, particularly the ongoing COVID-19 response. This is in addition to the existing $7.7 billion in supports to date, and includes investing an additional $572 million in hospitals for costs incurred during the pandemic.
- SUPPORT: $2.4 billion in new supports to individuals and businesses. This includes an additional $1.8 billion in funding for the Support for People and Jobs Fund over the next two years, 2021–22 and 2022–23, and $50 million to the Ontario Together Fund.
- RECOVER: $4.8 billion in funding to build the foundation for a strong recovery. This includes an investment of $680 million over the next four years in broadband infrastructure and an additional $57 million for the Digital Main Street program to help small businesses enhance their online presence.
