Highlights from Ontario’s 2026 budget touted by Essex MPP
- Ron Giofu
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Ontario budget was presented last week and the PC MPP for the riding of Essex is promoting it.
Essex MPP Anthony Leardi is touting the provincial budget as one that is good for Ontarians and for the riding. The budget was released last Thursday and Leardi stated it will be good for people’s wallets.
“There are no new taxes, which is a promise (Premier) Doug Ford made and kept,” said Leardi.
Leardi cited lower taxes on gas, beer and newly built apartments, the latter having “led to an explosion in apartment building, which is exactly what we need.” The current Ontario budget totally eliminates the HST tax on new homes up to $1 million, Leardi said, and he predicts it will save new homeowners thousands.
“That’s really big,” said Leardi. “That’s going to help a lot of people.”
The Essex MPP stated it will help people be able to move into a new home and if people want to move from a starter home into a larger home, it frees the starter home for someone who wants to enter the housing market.
“You are literally going to save tens of thousands of dollars if you move into a newly built home,” said Leardi.
Leardi added: “Generally speaking, we are trying to make things more affordable by lowering taxes” on such things as housing and gas.
“Since things travel by truck, especially groceries, lower gas taxes are very important,” he said.
Locally, Leardi pointed out construction of Highway 3, ongoing construction of long-term care homes in Amherstburg and Lakeshore, a new public elementary school in Lakeshore, and the Fanscy Family Hospital being in the tendering process.
Leardi pointed to the recent announcement of a $750 credit to elementary school teachers so they can go online and purchase supplies from Central Supply Ontario. According to Leardi, Kathleen Wynne and her government gave $3.7 million directly to union leaders when she was premier.
“We put money into classrooms,” he added.
Deficits exist because, as Leardi states, money is being put into healthcare including connecting residents to health care providers. He cited a 2,000-patient clinic in Kingsville as an example.
“We’re going to do this without raising a single tax. In fact, we’re lowering taxes,” he said.
Autism funding is expanding by $186 million, he added, which increases the amount of people eligible for support.
Leardi said Ford is keeping his promises and delivering for Ontarians, all without raising taxes to the people of Ontario.
Opposition parties have different opinions, though. NDP leader Marit Stiles accused the provincial government of making “enormous cuts to education, colleges and universities, jobs, and housing, while somehow finding tax dollars for a new Ferris wheel. Budgets are about choices, and Doug Ford’s choices are costing you.”
Liberal Finance & Trade critic Stephanie Bowman stated in March 10 remarks at a pre-budget address that Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy that the Minister’s remarks “will do little to reassure the millions of Ontarians who are struggling: for the 700,000 Ontarians who cannot find a job; for the people struggling to pay their rent, mortgage, and put food on the table; for the students who are worried about OSAP cuts and how they are going to pay for their post-secondary education, the Minister had nothing to say.”
Highlights from Ontario’s 2026 budget touted by Essex MPP
By Ron Giofu
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