Promises made on key issues in the 2022 Ontario election

The PC budget outlined the party’s plans for “Keeping Costs Down” in a dedicated section. Highlights include legislation that would speed up approvals for all types of housing, increasing capacity at the Ontario Land Tribunal and Landlord and Tenant Board to resolve cases faster, temporarily cutting the gas and fuel taxes beginning July 1, changes to the Low‐income Individuals and Families Tax (LIFT) Credit (see Taxes section), the implementation of an average of $10-a-day child care in Ontario by September 2025 (see Child care section), extending the Ontario Community Support program in 2022-23 which delivers means, medicine, and other items to low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities.

The PCs said that in March 2022, they received the Housing Affordability Task Force’s report, which proposed a target of 1.5 million new homes over 10 years. “The government is implementing a long‐term plan to address the housing crisis, informed by the task force’s recommendations,” the budget said.

The PCs also touted previous announcements to remove licence plate sticker renewal fees, remove tolls on highways 412 and 418 in Durham Region, eliminate double fares for most local transit in the GTA when using GO services, and increase Presto discounts for postsecondary students.

The PCs said they intend to propose changes that would allow for consumers to have “more options” when purchasing auto insurance.

The PCs said they would raise the minimum wage to $15.50 per hour in October.

The Liberal platform includes a “Lowering your cost of living section,” where the party promises to give “people a break on costs.” The party promised to remove the provincial portion of the HST on prepared meals under $20, and help pay for it by implementing a 1 per cent surtax on corporate profit above $1 billion and increase taxes on individual incomes above $500,000 (see Taxes section).

The Liberals said they would increase the minimum wage to $16 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2023 and “develop a living wage structure” that “factors different wage rates in different regions of the province.” They promised to repeal Bill 124.

The Liberals also laid out various promises relating to child care, including implementing $10-a-day child care and making discounts retroactive, giving parents $2,750 per child (see Child care section for more).

The party promised to create new consumer protections regarding the right to repair electronics, online subscriptions, and refunds.

They said they would reinstate rent control provincewide, get 1.5 million homes built over 10 years, tax homes that are empty, tax developers sitting on land ready for development, ban non-resident ownership, “ensure condo flippers pay appropriate taxes,” among other housing-related promises (see Housing section).

The “Making Life More Affordable” section of the NDP budget includes promises on housing, auto insurance, child care, electricity, and gas prices, among other issues.

Among the promises made, the party said it will end exclusionary zoning, introduce an annual speculation and vacancy tax on residential property, bring back rent control, create a portable housing benefit, and ensure tenants and landlords can get “prompt and fair” hearings before the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Regarding auto insurance, the NDP said it would ban postal code discrimination, “explore every avenue” in bringing down rates, and “enforce transparency.”

The NDP also promised to explore ways to have $10-a-day child care implemented faster, and increase the wages for child-care workers (see Child care for more details).

The party said it would expand clean renewable energy, bring in an “ambitious” energy efficient retrofit program to help homeowners and businesses with the cost of retrofitting, stop privatization and “expensive private power contracts,” and and implement measures to “make better use” of Ontario’s off-peak surplus.

The NDP said it would create a “Provincial Food Strategy” supporting locally sourced foods.

Regulating gas prices, banning “predatory” payday loans, and establishing an Independent Consumer Watchdog are also in the NDP platform.

The NDP said it would bring mental health care under OHIP coverage, accelerate the expansion of dental care, repeal Bill 124, and raise the minimum wage to $20 in 2026, among other promises.

The Green Party platform includes various promises relating to affordability, including in health care, wages, and housing.

The Greens said they would include mental health care under OHIP, increase funding for home care services, and create incentives for retrofitting homes to make them easier to age in place.

The party said it would increase the minimum wage to $16 this year and have it increase annually by $1, with a top-up in cities where the cost of living in higher. Repealing Bill 124 and “problematic sections” of Bill 106 is also in the Green platform. They promised to establish a $25 hourly base pay for PSWs.

The party said it would strengthen rights for gig workers by implementing a “Gig Workers’ Bill of Rights,” and phase in basic income starting with doubling ODSP and OW rates.

The Greens said they would prohibit payday lending.

Regarding housing, the Greens committed to freezing urban boundaries and building 1.5 million homes and 182,000 affordable community rental units, including 60,000 supportive homes over the next 10 years. They said they would clamp down on speculation (implementing speculation, vacant home, and anti-flipping taxes) and reinstate rent controls.

The Greens said they would provide grants for green retrofits.

The PC Party made increasing the housing supply a key part of its promise around homes. The party pledged to do this primarily by reducing “red tape” and making it “easier” to build housing. In March, the PC government accepted a recommendation from the Housing Affordability Task Force to build 1.5 million homes over 10 years.

The PCs promised to introduce tools for municipalities to speed up the planning process. The new tools would “streamline approvals” for housing projects, including common community flashpoints such as height, size and building structures. The party also promised to spend $45 million to help cities modernized their approval processes. It promised $19.2 million over three years to clear planning appeal backlogs.

The Ontario PC party said it would help municipalities implement vacant home taxes to crackdown on empty investment homes.

The budget emphasized the PC promise to build housing near higher order transit like subway and light rail stations.

The Ontario Liberals promised to build “at least” 1.5 million new homes over 10 years. It is the same figure the PCs committed to from the Housing Affordability Task Force’s 2022 report. As part of its commitment, the Liberal Party said it will build at least 138,000 “deeply affordable” houses, which will include 22,000 homes for Indigenous people.

The Liberals promised to create a body called the Ontario Home Building Corporation to fund and construct affordable housing. Its responsibilities would include unlocking and building housing on vacant land owned by the provincial government. Its houses, the Liberal platform said, would only be available to first-time homebuyers.

The party also committed to a vacant home taxes, “especially for non-Canadian owners” and measures to force developers that own vacant land to build on it sooner. The creation of a registry of “beneficial homeownership” will help to reduce house and condo flipping, the party promised.

The platform pledged to work with cities to expand zoning options and encourage more density in built-up areas. This will include inclusionary zoning to mandate some affordable developments and encouraging housing around transit. The party also promised to scrap Minister’s Zoning Orders, a tool that allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to bypass the local planning process and fast-track development applications.

In the housing market, the Liberal Party said it would reform blind bidding and increase transparency involving realtors and brokers.

The party promised to make it easier to build student residences on university campuses and spend public money to fund new shelter beds to “end chronic homelessness.”

The Ontario NDP promised to end exclusionary zoning — rules that disallow different types of housing construction — and “encourage responsible development.” The Ontario NDP also promised to force provincial transit agency Metrolinx to make surplus land available for affordable housing projects.

The party also promised to introduce annual taxes on speculation and vacancy. The former would apply “to all speculators who own houses they don’t live.” The party promised a foreign buyers tax as well.

The NDP also promised to ensure that new tenants pay the same rental rate as previous tenants, as well as creating a benefit to help 311,000 households pay rent. The party also promised to restore in-person hearings at the Landlord Tenant Board to oversee disputes between landlords and tenants.

The NDP said it would build 100,000 social housing units over 10 years. In addition, it promised to upgrade 260,000 existing units to increase their lifespan.

The party pledged to build 60,000 new supportive housing units for people with mental health addiction challenges. It promised to build 22,000 new homes for Indigenous communities. The NDP said it would “properly fund” shelters for woman fleeing domestic violence and set aside a portion of its 100,000 affordable housing units for women and families fleeing gender-based violence.

The party promised to end chronic homelessness “within 10 years.”

The Green Party said it would build 182,000 new “permanently affordable” rental homes over 10 years, with 60,000 of those supportive homes. The party said it would also introduce rules that ensure 20 per cent of units in all housing projects above “a certain size” are affordable. The Greens said they would renew 260,000 community housing projects.

The party’s platform said it would build 1.5 million homes across 10 years, pushing for housing near transit stations. It said it would push cities and developers to build “15-minute communities.”

If elected, the Green Party would also allow more single-family homes to be divided into multiple units and end blind bidding. It said that it would introduce vacancy and foreign investment taxes, as well as measures to reduce house flipping.

The party said it would introduce rent control on all units and help 311,000 homes to pay rent with a portable housing benefit. It also said it would codify when rent increases as a result of renovations were justified. Penalties for bad faith evictions would be increased under a Green government. The party said it would increase funding to support the landlord tenant board.

Housing for people in crisis would be increased, the Greens said. They promised 60,000 supportive housing units and more funding for women’s shelters.

In the budget, the PCs touted their child-care agreement with the federal government that was reached in late March. The PCs said an average of $10-a-day child care will be achieved in Ontario by September 2025, with fees being reduced over time up until then (including retroactive rebates).

The PCs said they would also create 86,000 new child-care spaces (including 15,000 created since 2019). The PCs said the agreement includes startup grants for “geographic areas of highest need.” Under the PCs, the spaces would include non-profit and for-profit settings.

The PCs said they would also “improve compensation” for registered early childhood educators and would work to support recruitment of new ECEs.

The Liberals pledged to implement universal $10-a-day child care and make discounts retroactive, giving parents $2,750 per child. The party said it would implement $10 a day before and after school care by September, create 30,000 new jobs for early childhood educators and other child-care staff, provide free tuition for all ECE programs at Ontario colleges, and enhance pay and benefits for ECEs.

The Liberals said they would also top up the 18-month parental leave so parents can stay home longer without EI benefits being reduced, and work with the feds to “fill gaps” for those who don’t qualify for EI.

The party said it would expand not-for-profit child care and for those choosing caregivers outside of licenced child care, it would bolster the CARE tax credit by 50 per cent to an average of $2,000.

The NDP said they would work with the federal government to “speed up” the implementation of $10-a-day child care. They said they would “immediately” begin to reduce fees for before and after school child care.

The party said it would immediately increase the standard wage for child-care workers to $25 per hour for registered early childhood educators and $20 for all other program staff. The party said it would work with the child-care sector to develop a wage grid and “decent work standards,” including benefits and a pension.

The NDP also promised funding for licenced home child care and said they would work with the federal government to “build sufficient regulated child-care services needed to accommodate families’ needs in all Ontario communities.”

The party said they would expand public and non-profit child care across the province.

The Greens said they would work with the feds to ensure continued access to $10-a-day child care in all communities and provide early childhood educators with a wage of at least $25 per hour.

The PC budget outlined new tax breaks for low-income workers and for seniors to help them age at home. It proposes changes to the Low-income Individuals and Families (LIFT) Credit and creating an Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit, both taking effect this year. Eligibility for the non-refundable LIFT credit would be expanded and the maximum benefit would rise, while the rate at which it is deducted compared to one’s income would decrease.

The Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit would be refundable and aimed at helping low- to moderate-income seniors over the age of 70. “Eligible recipients of the new Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit would receive up to 25 per cent of their claimable medical expenses up to $6,000, for a maximum credit of $1,500,” the budget notes.

The budget also said film and television productions that are distributed exclusively online would be eligible for a credit, and the PCs would scrap a rule that limited credits to books with more than 500 hard copy editions published. The PCs said they would also look into simplifying a credit for computer animation and special effects, and review credits related to increasing filming in Ontario communities. The party said they would cut the gas and fuel taxes for six months beginning July 1.

The Liberals said they would eliminate corporate taxes on small businesses hard hit by the pandemic for two years. It would be scaled to losses in revenue and eliminated entirely for businesses that lost more than 50 per cent of revenue.

The party said it also would eliminate the provincial HST on prepared food under $20, fully funded by a surtax on companies in Ontario that have more than $1 billion in profits per year and a two per cent increase on income taxes for individuals who earn more than $500,000 annually.

The Liberals said they would introduce a new vacant home tax in urban areas (five per cent of assessed value for non-Canadian owners, two per cent for Canadian owners) and on developers “sitting on land.” The party also said it would make sure condo flippers “pay appropriate taxes.”

Aimed at families using caregivers outside of licenced child care, the Liberals said they would bolster the CARE tax credit. The party says it would also expand and make permanent the Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit and make the Ontario Caregiver Tax Credit refundable and tax-free. The party promised “stable and competitive” film and TV tax support.

A $75 tax credit per winter tire and $100 per studded tire in Northern Ontario was also promised by the party. The Liberals said they would work with the federal government to strengthen carbon tax rebates for farmers.

The NDP said it would freeze taxes for low- and middle-income families while ensuring that “the wealthiest Ontarians and big corporations pay their fair share.”

The party said it would introduce an annual speculation and vacancy tax on residential properties, modelled off of British Columbia, applying to all speculators who own houses they don’t live in at a rate of two per cent of the assessed value. The NDP said it would maintain the non-resident speculation tax at 20 per cent and “close loopholes.”

The party also said it would extend the staycation tax credit for another two years. The credit would then be evaluated to determine its success and could become permanent.

Providing “competitive” tax credits for the film and TV industry is also listed in the NDP platform, along with simplifying the Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit.

The Green Party it would implement a “multiple property speculation tax” on people and corporations that own more than two houses or condos in Ontario, with the tax beginning at 20 per cent on the third property and increasing with each additional property owned. The party said it would also work to implement a provincewide vacant homes tax and implement an anti-flipping tax.

The party would decrease land taxes payable for buildings where below-market rent opportunities are available for “creative and social enterprises.”

The Greens said they would support the staycation tax credit and make sure it includes dining at restaurants.

The Greens said they would implement a tax incentive for businesses to install charging infrastructure.

Tax incentives for local food and beverage manufacturers who purchase products grown by local farmers and the elimination of property tax penalties for farmers with “small-scale, value-added production facilities” are also in the party’s platform.

The PC budget included a section titled “A Plan to Stay Open,” where the party detailed plans for investments in hospitals, long-term care, home care, and plans to build the province’s health-care workforce and build domestic production of PPE and vaccines. Promises include the Learn and Stay Grant, expanding undergrad and postgrad medical education (see Education section), a new refundable Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit (see Taxes section and various health-care investments (see Health care section).

In a section of the Liberal platform titled “Finish the fight against COVID-19,” the party pledged to add the COVID vaccine to the list of required vaccines for schools, require vaccinations for front-line education and health workers, ensure broad access to antiviral treatments, require that businesses treat COVID outbreaks as occupational health issues, and “support business that opt to check for vaccination status.”

The Liberals also pledged to “improve” understanding and treatment of long COVID.

The party said it would hold a public inquiry to review the response to COVID-19 and establish an all-party committee to lead the response. “This will result in an Ontario pandemic plan that will receive regular mandatory and public reviews and updates, led by a new pandemic resilience hub,” the plan says.

Liberals said they would permanently increase lab testing capacity, stockpile home rapid tests and masks.

The NDP plan includes a section titled “Recovering from COVID-19.” In it, the party promises to hold a public inquiry into the province’s COVID-19 response and introduce a “new” Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and other legislation to “strengthen” the ability to respond to a crisis.

The party said it will ensure the province is prepared for a future health emergency with measures including expanded sick days, retention pay, “proper” PPE stockpiles, triage protocols “that are accountable to vulnerable communities,” suspension of evictions, and protecting health-care workers from harassment.

The NDP promised to require annual reporting to the legislature on public health emergency preparedness. In the event of future public health restrictions, the NDP said they “will be a stable, transparent, and predictable partner to businesses,” providing proportional and timely support. The NDP said it would pass a Public Health Accountability Act to “ensure that the Chief Medical Officer of Health is free to act in the public interest.”

The party said it would ensure Ontarians suffering from long COVID are “no longer on their own,” making sure they’re supported by primary health providers. The NDP plan includes a pledge to invest in research to better understand long COVID.

New Democrats also promised to launch a COVID-19 emergency business fund for Black-owned small businesses. They said they would ensure all schools have “up-to-date” ventilation systems in case of future waves.

The Green Party pledged to hold an independent public inquiry into Ontario’s COVID-19 response that would provide recommendations on responses to future crises.

The party said it would designate the province’s chief medical officer as an independent officer of the legislature in a watchdog role, with annual publicly available reporting.

The Greens said they would ensure “robust public health science and laboratory support” for Public Health Ontario, provide funding to ensure preparedness for future pandemics, and stockpile three months’ worth of PPE supply for all health-care facilities.

The party promised to develop a program to help businesses affected by COVID so that they can file for bankruptcy in a “fair and non-punitive way.”

Improving the diagnosis and OHIP-covered care for long COVID is also part of the party’s platform.

The PC budget said hospital infrastructure projects would receive more than $40 billion over the next decade, including about $27 billion in capital funding.

The PCs said the money would help support hospital projects already underway or currently in the planning stage, as well as going toward new facilities.

Some of the projects listed in the budget, such as a new inpatient tower and expanded emergency department at the Scarborough Health Network’s Birchmount location, were part of the PC’s previous slew of hospital spending announcements.

The PCs committed to investing up to $1 billion more over the next three years into home care, introducing a new Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit (see Taxes section), expanding medical education and training (see Education section) building 30,000 long-term care beds, and are proposing to provide PSWs with a permanent raise.

The PCs also committed to providing an additional $204 million for mental health and addictions services.

In the Liberal platform, the party promises to hire 100,000 new nurses, doctors and other health-care workers, hire internally-trained health workers, train 3,000 new mental health and addictions professionals, add more nursing and medical school spaces and cover tuition costs for medical students working in rural or remote communities.

The party also promised to clear the surgical and diagnostic backlog with a $1 billion investment in additional capacity and establish maximum wait times for surgeries.

The party also promised to grow the number of hospital beds by 20 per cent and ensure access to a doctor or nurse practitioner within 24 hours.

The Liberals said they would ensure all Ontarians have access to prescription drug coverage and private benefit plans cover all drugs in Ontario’s public formulary. They would have costs of oral chemotherapy and medications to prevent and treat HIV covered through OHIP.

The party said it would invest an additional $3 billion into mental health and addictions services, reduce wait times for mental health care, require private employer benefits to include mental health services, have mental health professionals in emergency rooms, and build 15,000 more supportive homes for mental health and addiction, among other promises. The party said it would “prevent, intervene and treat” opioid addictions and overdoses with a $300 million investment, and make harm reduction supplies and sites more available.

The Liberals also made various COVID-related health-care promises (see COVID response section).

The party promised to make video, phone, email and text visits with primary health-care providers permanent options in appropriate cases.

Increasing Old Age Security by $1,000, helping seniors pay for home repairs and assistive devices, increasing funding for home care by 10 per cent, ending for-profit long-term care, and building 58,000 new non-profit long-term care spaces is also part of the Liberal platform.

New Democrats pledged to implement universal, publicly funded mental health care, reduce the wait time for children’s mental health to 30 days, commit $10 million more to mobile crisis services and $7 million more for safe beds programs to support mobile crisis teams.

The party said it would work to implement a universal pharmacare plan.

Declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency, investing in addiction rehab, detox centres, and other harm reduction strategies, and lifting the cap on supervised consumption sites is also part of the NDP platform. The party said it would work to “ensure safer alternatives” to the “toxic and deadly” supply of drugs currently being used and work with the federal government to decriminalize personal drug use.

The NDP promised to work with the feds to “strengthen and accelerate the expansion of dental care.”

The party said it would invest to eliminate the surgical backlog caused by COVID, expand operating room hours, and have a “health-care worker hiring blitz.”

New Democrats said they’d hire 10,000 PSWs, give PSWs a raise of at least $5 above pre-pandemic levels, hire 30,000 nurses, expedite the recognition of the credentials for 15,000 internationally trained nurses, and eliminate Bill 124.

Among other promises for northern Ontario, the NDP said they’d hire 300 doctors including 100 specialists and 40 mental health practitioners.

Ending user fees, raising hospital funding, prioritizing “badly needed hospital projects,” including new projects in Brampton, Scarborough, and Sioux Lookout.

New Democrats said they’d work to “identify and fix the systemic inequities in health care,” treat anti-Black racism as a public health crisis, improve access to gender-affirming procedures and make transition drugs free, remove the cost of medications required to treat and prevent HIV, and “make long-term care 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming.” The party said it would expand Francophone and Indigenous health care.

Making long-term care public and not-for-profit and building 50,000 new long-term care beds is also in the party’s plans.

(See COVID response section for additional health-related promises.)

The Greens promise to include mental health and addiction care under OHIP, make sure mental health and addiction services are available in all regions of Ontario, invest in a 3-digit 24/7 provincewide mental health crisis line, invest in the creation and expansion of 24/7 mobile crisis response teams, and reduce wait times to 30 days or less for children and youth who need mental health care.

The Green Party said it would work with the feds to decriminalize drugs, build 60,000 permanent supportive housing spaces, increase the number of consumption and treatment sites, expand the availability of harm reduction programs including safe supply and declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency.

The Greens said they would partner with the feds to implement a universal dental care plan, and a universal pharmacare plan.

The Greens promise to repeal Bill 124 and “problematic sections” of Bill 106 and allow health-care workers to “bargain collectively.” Until then, have a minimum hourly wage of $35 for registered practical nurses and $25 for PSWs.

Increasing nursing program enrollments in order to meet a 2030 target of 30,000 additional nurses and fast-tracking credential approvals for 15,000 internationally trained health workers is also part of the Green plan.

The Greens said they would increase year-over-year hospital base funding, invest in new and expanded hospitals, “rebalance” health-care funding so rural and remote areas get better access, make permanent 50 community wellness nursing positions support First Nations, increase the number of Indigenous-led health clinics, and use incentives to bring physicians and other health professionals to northern and rural communities.

The Greens said they would also “immediately strike a task force” to develop policies and initiatives that that address effects of racism, homophobia, and transphobia on mental health and health-care access.

The Green Party said they would build 55,000 long-term care beds by 2033 and at least 96,000 by 2041, phase out for-profit LTC, increase home care service funding, and create incentives for retrofitting homes to make them easier to age in place.

(See COVID response for additional health-related promises.)

The PC budget included a section titled “Building Ontario Made Electric Vehicles,” which said that obtaining critical minerals in the north will “drive” electric vehicle manufacturing in the south.

The PCs said they would invest $1 billion to support infrastructure (such as all-season roads) to potential mining sites in the Ring of Fire.

The PCs touted their plan to build electric vehicles in Ontario by securing auto production mandates and previous investments made in the industry.

The budget said $91 million would be provided to make electric vehicle charging stations “more accessible” to the public across Ontario and said a Rural Connectivity Fund would be created to support placing electric vehicle chargers in rural areas.

The PCs said an “ultra-low” overnight electricity rate that’s being explored could support electric vehicle use.

The Liberals said they would make Ontario “lead electric battery manufacturing in North America,” begin a fund dedicated for the “next generation” of batteries, and “unlock” the province’s metal and mineral reserves in the north.

The party says it would provide up to $9,500 in rebates for electric vehicles and charging equipment ($8,000 for the purchase of a non-luxury electric vehicle, and $1,500 for charging equipment.

By 2035, all new passenger vehicles sold in Ontario will have to be zero-emission under the Liberal plan. The party said it would also mandate electric vehicles and equipment across the public sector.

The Liberals say they would add additional high-occupancy toll lanes on provincial highways that are free for electric vehicles.

The NDP promised to “support the auto sector” in shifting to electric vehicle production, with the goal of having all new auto sales electric by 2035. The party said the process would “take a total supply chain approach,” with parts and manufacturing happening in the province.

The party wants to transition the province’s fleet of vehicles to Canadian-made electric vehicles by 2030.

A network of charging stations across the province and incentives of up to $10,000 for Ontarians who purchase non-luxury electric vehicles is also part of the NDP platform.

The Greens say they will increase demand for low-emission vehicles, offering cash incentives of up to $10,000 for purchasing a fully electric vehicle and $1,000 for a used electric vehicle or e-bike.

The party said it will phase out the sale of new gas and diesel vehicles, buses, and medium-duty trucks by 2030, require trucks in urban areas to be 50 per cent zero emission vehicles by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040.

The Greens promise to increase the number of charging stations at every rest stop on 400-series highways, and by next year require that all new or re-surfaced parking areas install charging stations. They would also require existing parking lots and garages to install charging stations in 25 per cent of spots by 2024, 50 per cent by 2030, and 75 per cent by 2035.

Tax incentives would be offered for businesses installing charging stations.

The Greens also promised to amend the building code do that new homes are “EV charging ready.”

The party said it will create a “strong electric vehicle manufacturing strategy and electric transportation industry supply chain” by building on the province’s strengths in mining, auto manufacturing, innovation, and financing.

The Ontario budget merged environmental and economic promises around the electric vehicle industry. The documents promise to mine critical minerals needed to manufacture electric cars along with production and assembly promises.

The Ford government made a series of electric vehicle announcements in the run-up to the 2022 election campaign. They include retooling the Stellantis plants in Windsor and Brampton. The PCs promised in April 2022 to build more Hydro One transmission lines to allow for electric cars to be charged more easily. The PCs also promised to spend $91 million to make electric vehicle chargers available in places like highway rest stops, hockey arenas and public parking lots.

The PC budget promised $24 million for the planning and construction of a phosphorus recycling facility in the Holland Marsh. The facility will treat “phosphorus runoff from a 7,000-acre area.”

The PCs pledged to spend $10 million between 2022 and 2023 to improve Ontario’s ability to farm and grow food.

The Ontario Liberals promised to “transition to a fully clean electricity supply” by banning new natural gas power plants. The party also said it would get rid of connection fees for new rooftop solar panels, alongside a commitment to “pursue” green hydrogen energy projects.

Grants and loans of up to $3,000 to retrofit homes and buildings would also be made available, the Liberals said. The party would also provide $9,500 rebates for electric cars and chargers and launch funding to produce electric batteries using resources mined in Northern Ontario. Rebates of $500 would be available for electric bikes.

The Liberals said high emitting industries would be required to cut their emissions and an “improved carbon pricing plan for businesses.” Those funds, the party said, would be reinvested into grants, loans and tax credits relating to the environment.

The party promised to create five new provincial parks and expand the Greenbelt area. It said it would plant 100 million trees every year for eight years and repeal changes the PCs made to conservation and environmental legislation.

The Liberals also said they would divert 60 per cent of waste from landfills by 2030 and 85 per cent by 2050, along with a pledge to use organic waste to generate energy and restrict use of “some” single-use plastics. The party would demand climate risk reporting from public companies and transition to net-zero by 2030, it said.

The party has promised to scrap Highway 413 and “reassess” the Bradford Bypass

The Liberals are also relying on a pledge to cut transit fares to $1 until 2024 to remove cars from the road (see Transportation section).

The NDP pledged to reach net-zero emissions in Ontario by 2050.

The party promised a new cap-and-trade system that means companies that pollute more would pay more. In the new system, at least 25 per cent of revenue generated would go to rural, norther and low-income families.

The NDP also said it would retrofit at least five per cent of Ontario buildings every year, alongside commitments to increase Ontario’s Greenbelt and expand its parks and green space. The party promised to plant one billion trees by 2030 and create a plan to prevent forest fires.

It said it would ban non-medical single-use plastics by 2024 and expanding recycling and compost services.

The NDP promised to work the the mining sector in Northern Ontario to access minerals using “mining-related green innovation” and consult with stakeholders to improve regulation. It has committed to scrapping Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.

The Ontario Green Party promised to reach net zero by 2045.

It said it would take over the federal carbon tax and increase it by $25 until it reaches $300 per tonne in 2032. The party also promised to end new fossil fuel power generator hookups to the energy grid by 2025, doubling Ontario’s electricity supply by 2040 and making it emissions free “as quickly as possible” to electrify transportation infrastructure. The party said it would not build new nuclear power plants.

The party also said it would set recycling standards, including 85 per cent of plastic packing being recyclable by 2030. It would also “ban” food waste from landfill.

The Greens promised $10,000 incentives to buy an electric car and $1,000 incentives to buy an electric bike or used electric vehicle. It also promised to increase the electric charging infrastructure in Ontario, including requiring all new or resurfaced parking lots to have EV chargers by 2023. By 2035, all parking lots — public and private — would be required to have electric vehicle chargers in 75 per cent of spaces. The Greens would “scale up” electric vehicle production in Ontario.

The party also promised to retrofit 40 per cent of existing homes and workplaces by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040. The Greens committed to amending Ontario’s building code to make new builds more environmentally-friendly and offering low-cost loans for people who want to retrofit their buildings. Cities would be allowed to borrow money to hit their retrofit targets.

The Green Party also said it would add a tax on Ontario’s top 10 per cent of owners, including a one-per cent climate levy. This money would be given to low-income households to help with retrofits to reduce energy consumption.

The party promised to increase Ontario’s resilience to climate change. This includes expanding natural infrastructure and requiring all organizations to evaluate their vulnerability to climate events.

The Ontario Green Party said it would protect 25 per cent of Ontario’s land and water by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. It would double the size of the Greenbelt, including the addition of a Bluebelt for protected waterways. It would cancel Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, making new highways illegal through the Greenbelt. It would also work to reduce phosphorous from entering Lake Simcoe.

The party said it would restore the Office of the Environmental Commissioner and increase public oversight on environmental issues.

The Greens promised to freeze urban boundaries so cities cannot sprawl out and to permanently protect farmland. The Ontario Greens also said they would support local farming an increase training opportunities for young farmers.

The PC budget included plans for spending $25.1 billion over 10 years for highway projects, including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, widening Highway 401 east from Pickering, and improving the QEW Skyway.

The PCs said they would provide $61.6 billion over 10 years for transit projects including continuing Ontario Line work, a Sheppard subway extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West extension to the airport, expanded GO service including weekday GO trips between London and Union Station, and passenger rail service to northeastern Ontario.

The PCs also promised to cut the gas and fuel taxes for six months beginning July 1.

The Liberals promised to cut the cost of public transit fares to $1 per ride and offer $40 monthly passes until January 2024. The party said it would also work to integrate fates between services in the GTHA “ensuring everyone pays less than they do today.” Public transit would be free for all veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces under the Liberal plan.

The party said it will provide an additional $375 million in annual transit operating funding which would support more routes, extended service hours, and improved accessibility. The Liberal platform includes a commitment to expand transit throughout the province and finish all plans already funded. The Liberals promise “dozens of new transit projects,” including high-frequency rail service spanning from Windsor to Quebec, the Waterloo Region ION LRT extension, two-way all-day Milton GO service, extending the Hurontario LRT further north to Brampton GO, building Mississauga’s Hurontario LRT loop, the Eglinton East LRT extension, Sheppard Subway extension, Toronto Waterfront LRT, and regular GO train service between London, Kitchener and Toronto.

The Liberals promised to scrap Highway 413 and reassess the Bradford Bypass’ environmental impact while “responsibly” maintaining existing highways, which includes widening lanes in some locations and adding additional high-occupancy toll lanes.

Plans for transit in the NDP platform include restoring provincial funding for municipal transit and paratransit systems to 50 per cent of their net operating costs and implementing more fare integration along with a two-hour flat rate fare across municipal transit in the GTHA.

The NDP also promised to extend the Hurontario LRT to downtown Brampton and restore the originally planned loop. The party said it would improve two-way all-day GO service between Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto, and expand year-round “daily-or-better” service to Bowmanville, Grimsby and Niagara. The NDP said it would fully restore the Ontario Northlander and support the Huron Central and Algoma Central Rail Lines.

The party said it would continue “vital” construction projects for roads including making highways 69, 11/17, and 3 four lanes; the Morriston bypass, Thunder Bay Expressway Interchange Project, and expansion of Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph. The party said it would end private winter road maintenance contracts and make it public, and designate highways 11 and 17 as priority so that they are cleared of snowfall within eight hours.

The NDP would cancel Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.

The Green Party platform includes plans to move towards “low-carbon transportation,” including electric vehicles, bikes and walking. It identified regional public transit as a key part of their agenda.

The party said it would stop building new highways, cancel planned “unnecessary highways” including Highway 413, the Holland Marsh Highway, and the widening of Highway 417 and would create a dedicated truck lane on Highway 407.

The Greens promised to immediately cut transit fares in half for at least three months across all Ontario transit systems, restore the 50-per cent provincial cost-share for transit operations, electrify the province’s transit system as quickly as possible including by adding 4,000 electric and fuel-cell buses by 2035, and triple the number of bus lanes by 2025.

The Green Party also said it would expand all-day two-way GO transit service to leave every 15 minutes during peak periods and every 30 minutes during off-peak, offer at least one express service each day during weekday peaks, fully fund the Northlander passenger rail service, and support regional fare integration.

The party promised to implement Vision Zero, create a fund for municipalities to build bike lanes, support rental and sharing systems for bikes, e-bikes, and low-emission vehicles with incentives, and require all new or resurfaced highways to have paved shoulders for safe cycling. The party said it would also establish commuter cycling networks across the province.

In the PC budget doubling as the party’s platform, they promised to commit $21 billion, including $14 billion in capital grants, over the next 10 years for the renewal and expansion of school infrastructure and child-care projects. The PCs said they are also launching a pilot project collaborating with school boards to use rapid, modular build methods. The PCs said $6 billion would also be provided for the post-secondary education sector including more than $2 billion in capital grants over 10 years to help modernize classrooms, carry out repairs, and improve environmental sustainability.

The PCs said they would introduce a new science and technology curriculum and de-stream the Grade 9 science course for the 2022-23 school year.

$600 million to help students recover from the disruptions caused by COVID, including $175 million to expand access to publicly funded tutoring, was also in the PC budget.

The PCs announced an expansion to college degree granting, including new three-year applied degrees and additional four-year degree programs.

$9 million over three years to support nine Indigenous governed and Indigenous institutes was also in the budget.

The PCs said they would maintain the current tuition freeze for the province’s publicly assisted colleges and universities for another academic year.

The PCs said they would invest $42.5 million over two years beginning in 2023-24 to support expanding undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and training.

Starting in 2022-23, with $81 million, the PCs would expand the Community Commitment Program for Nurses for up to 1,500 graduates each year to receive full tuition in exchange for committing to practice for two years in an underserved community. Starting in Spring 2023, the PCs said they would launch the $61 million Learn and Stay Grant, with applications opening up for 2,500 eligible post-secondary students who enroll in priority programs to work in underserved communities where they studied.

The PCs also said they would “modernize clinical education for nurses,” with an investment of $124.2 million over three years. Committing $42.5 million over two years beginning in 2023-24 to expand the number of undergraduate and postgraduate medical positions in the province was also in the budget.

“Modernizing skilled trades and apprenticeships” was also promised by the PCs, including funding aimed at accommodating an increase in enrolment, supporting the Tools Grant, and incentivizing employers.

The Liberals promised to hire 10,000 more teachers and cap class sizes at 20 students for all grades. The party said it would reinstate an optional Grade 13 and offer classes on mental health, taxes, financial literacy, among other topics.

The Liberals said they would end mandatory online learning while creating “high-quality online options” for secondary school students.

The Liberals said they would end academic streaming, as well as EQAO testing and replace it with a different assessment strategy.

Hiring 5,000 more special education workers and reducing wait times for special education were also promised by the Liberals. They would hire 1,000 more mental health workers for students and staff, make mental health first air training available to staff, and provide a free breakfast to every student who needs one. By cancelling Highway 413, the Liberals said they would provide $10 billion to build and repair more schools, including ensuring existing schools’ ventilation systems are in good condition.

The Liberals said they would review and update the funding formula for Ontario’s schools.

The party also promised to update the curriculum to add more French, Indigenous, “diverse and modern” aspects, including making mandatory lessons on residential schools.

Regarding post-secondary education, the Liberals said they would “more than double” OSAP funding, continue the tuition freeze, eliminate interest on student loans, provide more grants, expand OSAP eligibility.

Under the Liberal plan, tuition would be fully covered for all early childhood education and personal support worker programs at Ontario colleges, as well as medical and nursing students who commit to working in rural and remote communities.

The Liberals also said they would give $2,000 to those who go into apprenticeships, create a $1 billion fund for new programs and increase operating grants, fund northern, rural and remote colleges and universities undergoing a transition and commit to “innovating, high-quality” online learning options.

Hiring 20,000 teachers and education workers, more custodians and maintenance staff, more mental health workers, repealing Bill 124, and working to end violence against education workers are among the promises in the NDP platform.

The NDP said they would cap class sizes for Grades 4 to 8 at 24 and reduce class sizes in secondary schools. The party said they would also cap kindergarten classes at 26 students and maintain the teacher-ECE team.

The NDP would “review and repair” the education funding formula, beginning with a “comprehensive public review” that would be completed within one year. The party said they would increase funding for special education, double the Rural and Northern Education Fund, clear the school repair backlog within 10 years, ensure that schools have “up-to-date” ventilation systems, and upgrade public schools to make them carbon neutral.

The NDP also said they would implement a working group on teacher shortage in the French-language system and implement recommendations, “respect the constitutional right of French
school boards,” and review the approvals process for new French schools so that provincewide students can access French learning.

The party said it would also amend the Education Act to address racism and discrimination, ensure students learn about the Holocaust, work with the Indigenous community to ensure that the curriculum “appropriately reflects Indigenous experiences and histories,” support more Indigenous representation on school boards, and boost funding for Indigenous language education.

The NDP said they would end streaming and EQAO testing. They would scrap the mandatory requirement for two online courses and end hybrid models.

Regarding post-secondary education, the NDP said they would convert student loans to grants, retroactively wipe out student loan interest. The party said they would also invest to create thousands of new paid placements for post-secondary students and double the province’s career ready program from 2020 levels.

The Green Party said it would hold an independent review of Ontario’s education funding formula to ensure it “adequately reflects student needs” and review the formula every five years. The party said it would ensure an updated funding model includes “adequate funding” for ESL grants, special education assistants, and counsellors, among other supports, and ensure it “takes into account the unique needs of remote and rural schools.”

The Greens said they would address the repair backlog for the province’s public schools, allocate funds so that schools can comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, provide funding so that schools can “make energy efficiency and ventilation improvements” and can purchase zero-emission electric buses.

The party said it would oppose any move towards mandatory e-learning or hybrid models and cap class sizes for Grades 4 to 8 to at least 24 students and kindergarten to at least 26 students.

The Greens said they would eliminate EQAO testing, as well as streaming.

Increased funding for outdoor education, greenspace in school yards, and an “enhanced curriculum” on environmental topics is also in the Green Party platform.

The Greens also said they would “make equity a pillar of public education,” implement mandatory collection and reporting of race-based data for schools and have “standard procedures” for reporting racist incidents. The party said it would remove all resource officers from the province’s schools, and work with boards to ensure staff hiring and retention practices are transparent and reflect the diversity of the province’s population.

Establishing “clearly visible” all-gender washrooms, updating the curriculum to include “informed discussions” on discrimination, restoring funding for the Indigenous curriculum program and developing a mandatory curriculum on colonialism, residential schools, and Indigenous histories is also part of the Green Party platform.

The Greens said they would also address the waitlist for core services in the Ontario Autism Program through building capacity and increasing funding every year as inflation and the number of children registered increases. The party said it would also establish an “ultimate wait time benchmark” for diagnosis and access to core services once registered in the program.

Regarding post-secondary education, the Greens said they would convert OSAP loans to grants for low- and middle-income students and eliminate interest charges on student debt.

— with files from The Canadian Press