Meghan Markle surprises her kids with a quintessential Canadian treat<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
Tariffs, in particular, have elicited large spending promises from the parties. The Progressive Conservatives have put billions in tax deferrals on the table along with money for new skills training, while the NDP has promised income support.<\/p>\n
The Liberals are pitching a fund to fight tariffs that would allow businesses to borrow at the government rate.<\/p>\n
Jay Goldberg, Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said the tariff threat should not excuse parties from careful budget planning.<\/p>\n
He called on the leaders to plan for a balanced budget \u2014 with the option of short-term deficit spending if it is necessary for the period tariffs could be put in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parties should be laying out a plan to have a clearly balanced budget and then work on a tariff response plan separately. I think the parties can do both \u2014 you can walk and chew gum at the same time,\u201d Goldberg said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t have this as an excuse to increase government spending by tens of billions of dollars on a permanent basis and that\u2019s what often happens when you\u2019re in a situation some see as a crisis \u2014 it ends up being permanent government spending increases.\u201d<\/p>\n
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While the Ontario Greens have released a fully costed platform, the NDP, Liberals and PCs have only unveiled individual promises \u2014 many of them without cost estimates attached.<\/p>\n
The election will be held on Feb. 27.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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