Government Relations

Ontario budget passed

On June 20th, the Ontario Legislature passed its first minority government budget , averting a potential summer election in Ontario. All 35 Progressive Conservatives (PC) present in the legislature voted against the budget, while 52 governing Liberals supported it. New Democrats abstained from voting, which allowed the bill to pass. Follow this link to view the latest budget debates at Queen’s Park.

A week before the vote, Premier Dalton McGuinty raised the possibility of the election after the PCs voted with the NDP to strike some key elements from the budget relating to labour arbitration.

In April, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath promised verbally to support the Liberal government that was reduced to a minority in the Oct. 6, 2011 election. As a concession to the NDP, the government agreed to delay scheduled corporate tax cuts and add a new tax on incomes over $500,000. Ontario PCs vowed to vote against the budget after it was introduced.

While Ontarians will not be heading to the polls this summer, the Premier must still call a by-election in the riding of Kitchener-Waterloo after PC MPP Elizabeth Witmer stepped down to take a position with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The by-election must be called within six months since resignation.


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