Premier Doug Ford’s government is cutting taxes for low-income earners, lifting some rent controls, and slashing oversight protections for the environment, vulnerable children, and Ontario’s French-speaking minority.In the Progressive Conservatives’ fall economic statement released Thursday, Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said the hours of retail alcohol sales will be extended to between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.Rent controls are being axed for tenants moving into new units starting Friday to spur construction of new apartments, exposing them to potentially larger annual increases. But rent controls will be preserved for everyone else.The Tories will also eliminate the public per-vote subsidies for political parties in time for the 2022 election, which could eventually save the treasury $15 million.Currently, the governing party receives almost $6 million while the NDP gets $4 million, the Liberals about $2.5 million and the Greens around $600,000.“This administration inherited a $15-billion deficit from the previous government,” Fedeli said of a shortfall the Tories inflated after the June 7 election by including $5.7 billion in Liberal campaign promises that are not being funded.But the treasurer, who said he has already cut $3.2 billion in spending, pointed out the revised deficit will still be $14.5 billion.That’s because the Tories are forgoing $2.7 billion in revenue due mostly to cancelling Ontario’s cap-and-trade environmental alliance with Quebec and California, and other changes, including the elimination of provincial income taxes for those who earn $30,000 or less.As well, the previous Liberals kept their deficits artificially low by one-time asset sales.“Fifteen years of reckless spending and mismanagement have left our province extremely vulnerable to the next economic downturn. It was irresponsible,” Fedeli told the legislature. “Make no mistake, after the last 15 years, the roa ...
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