The Ontario NDP have released the full costing for its election platform, which includes billions of dollars more in spending. .“The NDP has an affordable, realistic plan to make life better for people,” said Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath in a Sunday press release. “Together, we can fix what matters most to people, like making life more affordable, and helping people get the healthcare and home care they need.” .The press release said the NDP will spend $13.6 billion in healthcare, home care, and long-term care from 2022–2025. The NDP will spend $960 million on pharmacare. .According to the platform costing, the party will use $1.9 billion for universal dental care. Universal contraception will cost $183 million. .The NDP said it will spend $18.3 billion to improve social assistance from 2022–2025. .Increasing Ontario Disability Support Program rates by 20% in 2023, doubling it in 2024 from the current rate, and indexing it to inflation in 2025 will be worth $12.4 billion. Raising Ontario Works rates by the same amounts will cost $5.9 billion. .The platform costing said the NDP will spend $895 million on equity. .The NDP said it will put $90 million towards an anti-racism fund. It said it will spend $60 million on an LGBTQ2+ grant program. .The party said it will spend $12.2 billion on fighting climate change. .The platform costing went on to say that it will spend $240 million on planting one billion trees by 2030. A cap and trade program will fund the climate change plan. .The NDP said it will freeze taxes on low and middle class families for four years. It said it will raise the corporate tax rate to 13%. .Income taxes will be raised on people earning more than $220,000 by 1%, and people who make more than $300,000 will see their income taxes go up by 2%. The NDP said it will not lower the gas tax. .The NDP said it will not balance the budget for the next three years. In 2025, a projected NDP deficit will be $13 billion. .“The past two years have been incredibly difficult for people, and our costing reflects the urgency needed to fix the mess that Doug Ford is leaving behind,” said NDP MPP Catherine Fife. “Where Doug is only looking out for his buddies, the NDP are here to make life better and more affordable for everyone.”.The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party condemned the NDP’s platform costing, particularly for not lowering the gas tax..“Only @fordnation will get it done for drivers by keeping costs down and lowering the gas tax by 5.7 cents per litre,” said the Ontario PCs.
