April 29, 2022 12:56pm
Perth-Wellington’s MPP is praising the budget presented by his government Thursday. Randy Pettapiece said it will help prepare the region for the future, when it comes to job training, infrastructure, and building the healthcare capacity.
Pettapiece also called the government’s plan is responsible. He said it is a recovery plan that will eliminate Ontario’s deficit two years ahead of schedule.
The MPP pointed out that the budget supports creating good manufacturing jobs as Ontario becomes a North American leader in building the vehicles of the future.
And he said it also invests nearly $4 billion to support high-speed internet access to every community in Ontario by the end of 2025.
“This budget addresses many of the things that matter to us in Perth-Wellington,” he said. “It will help prepare us for the future, especially when it comes to job training, infrastructure, and building the healthcare capacity we need.”
“These are major investments in our future. But at the same time, the government’s plan is responsible. It is a recovery plan that will eliminate Ontario’s deficit two years ahead of schedule,” he added. “I am confident that the people of Ontario will support these priorities, and I hope this budget will be passed.”
He said the budget supports creating good manufacturing jobs as Ontario becomes a North American leader in building the vehicles of the future. It also invests nearly $4 billion to support high-speed internet access to every community in Ontario by the end of 2025.
Pettapiece praised this investment as being exceptionally important to small communities and rural Ontario.
He added the budget includes $1 billion annually in employment and training programs to help people retrain and upgrade their skills. The province will also invest an additional $114.4 million over three years in its Skilled Trades Strategy.
“For years, local employers have told me that they cannot find enough skilled workers,” Pettapiece said. “I am pleased that the government has a meaningful plan to address this.”
He added the budget includes an ambitious plan to invest in highways and critical infrastructure across the province. It also includes $14 billion over the next ten years to build and renew schools and childcare spaces.
He added locally, it will also mean faster train trips from Stratford and St. Marys with track improvements for faster and more frequent GO transit service.
Pettapeice pointed out the budget includes historic investments in hospitals with an additional $3.3 billion in 2022-23, bringing the total additional investments in hospitals to $8.8 billion since 2018-19.
And he said the government is also investing $3.5 billion over three years to continue the more-than-3,000 hospital beds added during the pandemic.
