Ford Government Outlines its Priorities for the 44th Session of the Ontario Legislature

Today, The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, delivered the Speech from the Throne. The Speech laid out the Ford government's priority for the 44th session of the Ontario Legislature.
 
The remarks were largely focused on the economic hardships Ontario is facing as a result of uncertainty created by U.S. tariffs. Building on their campaign platform, the speech highlighted the investments and protections the government is planning to enable a more competitive, more resilient, and more self-reliant economy. A full list of the commitments can be found below:

Tariff Response & Relief

• $11 billion in urgent relief to businesses in the province.

• Continuing to maintain financial contributions to the electric vehicle and battery auto pact that will attract $46 billion in new investments and calling on the next federal government to do the same.

• Urging the federal government to reinvest all revenues raised through Canada's reciprocal tariffs to workers and businesses.  

Removing Interprovincial Trade Barriers

• As its first order of business, the government will introduce legislation to tear down internal trade barriers within Canada. This will mean that goods produced and services provided in other provinces and territories will be treated the same in Ontario, provided other provinces and territories do the same.

• Ontario will also automatically recognize credentials earned in other provinces and territories to fill key gaps in Ontario's labour force.  

• The province will be a leading voice in the federation for new railways, highways, airports and seaports. The government will champion new pipelines eastward, westward, north and south, connecting Alberta oil to new refineries, new tidewater, and new markets. This will reduce our reliance on the U.S. and open up new markets for Canadian products overseas.

Unlocking Ontario’s Critical Minerals

• As its second priority, the government will introduce new legislation to unlock the Ring of Fire. This will provide the government with the authority to designate regions where multiple critical mineral deposits are present or likely to be present, including the Ring of Fire, as regions of strategic importance to the province’s economy and security interests.

• Within the boundaries of these regions, proponents that meet high operating, safety and environmental standards will benefit from significantly streamlined permitting and approvals, alongside an uninterrupted commitment to meeting duty to consult requirements. Roads, highways and the infrastructure necessary to unlock Ontario’s critical minerals will also benefit from these streamlined approvals.

• The Government will ensure that northern communities reap the benefits of critical mineral development, including for First Nations communities through equity partnerships that offer generational economic opportunities.

• Instead of being shipped overseas, minerals mined in Ontario will be refined in Ontario, creating new opportunities for workers in northern hubs like Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Timmins.

• Over the course of its mandate, the government will further streamline the province’s environmental assessment process and bring new conservation principles to the role of Conservation Authorities and species-at-risk requirements.

• Calling on the new federal government to follow suit and support unlocking our resource development potential

Meeting the Provinces Energy Needs

• The government will invest unprecedented amounts in new energy production, transmission and storage to transform Ontario into a global clean energy superpower.
• This includes the first small modular nuclear reactors in the G7 at Darlington nuclear site, alongside upgrades to existing nuclear facilities at the Darlington, Pickering and Bruce nuclear generating stations.
• Working with interested municipalities and First Nations to dramatically expand Ontario’s energy generating capacity, including exploring building the first new large-scale nuclear power plants in the province in more than 30 years in Bruce County and Port Hope.

Building Ontario: Infrastructure, Transit, and Housing

• Ontario will invest over $200 billion in its plan to build new and upgraded roads and highways in every part of the province including:

• Building a new tunnel expressway and transitway under Highway 401.

• Expanding subway service by more than 50%.

• Resuming service for the Northlander passenger train, connecting northern communities like Cochrane, Timmins, North Bay and the Muskoka region directly to Union Station in Toronto.

• Improving GO train passenger service across the Greater Golden Horseshoe, bringing more frequent GO train service to Kitchener and Niagara, while extending GO train service to Bowmanville.  

• Working with rail, municipal and federal partners to build GO 2.0, a transformational expansion of GO train service.

• As part of this historic investment, Ontario will continue to build much-needed housing across the province.

• Working with municipalities to lower local development fees.

• Standardizing and bring more transparency to the cost and timelines of building homes, including for local development charges, study requirements and Building Code permit approvals.

• Ontario will prioritize made-in-Ontario and made-in-Canada products, including making Ontario and Canadian steel, cement, forestry and other construction materials mandatory for government-funded infrastructure projects.

Education & Ontario's Workforce

• Expand its investments in training and skills development.

• Increasing access to career coaching for students.

• Ensuring that investments in education are directed to students in the classroom, instead of increasing the size of school board administration.

• Continue to support Ontario’s colleges and universities, including with increased funding for training capacity and programs designed to fill critical gaps in the province’s workforce.

Public Safety & Borders

• Ontario will re-introduce legislation to provide municipalities the enhanced tools to end encampments and clean up parks and public spaces.

• Appoint tough-on-crime judges and justices of the peace that put the interests of victims ahead of criminals.

• Invest in and build new and expanded jails.

• Urging the next federal government to fix its broken bail system, ending the catch-and-release policies that let violent, repeat offenders loose and make our communities less safe.

Healthcare

• Re-committing to connecting every person in the province with a family doctor within the next four years.

• Embarking on the largest expansion of medical education in more than a decade including new programs to pay for school and supplies for family doctors, and new community and diagnostic surgical centres.

• 10-year, $50 billion investment to build and upgrade more than 50 hospitals across the province.

• $6.4 billion to build and upgrade 58,000 long-term care beds.

• Using the principles of Lean methodologies to deliver care in emergency departments and surgical centres more efficiently.

• Committed to maintaining a free public health care system.

As the Government begins to introduce legislation to enable these new investments and policies, our team will be sure to keep you apprised of opportunities for your organization to engage and support the government.