Ontario’s fiscal watchdog says limited chances to reduce government spending

Ontario’s fiscal watchdog says opportunities for the Progressive Conservative government to cut spending in order to reduce the deficit may be limited.

The Financial Accountability Officer says the province’s per capita spending in 2017 on government programs was already the lowest amongst all the provinces.

The Tories have said Ontario has a $13.5 billion deficit and have promised to balance the budget without raising taxes.

The FAO report says the province takes in the lowest revenue per person in Canada and that is combined with similarly low spending on government programs.

It notes that Ontario spent the lowest amount per person on health care out of any province in 2017.

The report also says Ontario receives the second lowest level of transfer payments from the federal government.