Budget de l'Ontario 2025 : tout ce qu'il faut savoir

Ontario’s Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, rose in the legislature today to deliver the province’s 2025 budget, titled A Plan to Protect Ontario.

The budget lays out the Ford government’s priorities for the year, focusing on infrastructure investment, business tax incentives, and sector-specific support. It builds on the Progressive Conservatives’ recent election platform and reflects Premier Ford’s plan to navigate U.S. trade tensions and protect Ontario from emerging risks.

The financial update

The budget outlines key economic indicators and financial projections that provide a snapshot of the province’s fiscal health. This includes updates on projected GDP growth, the deficit/surplus outlook, the debt level and total revenue outlook.

• GDP growth: 0.8 per cent in 2025 and 1.0 per cent in 2026
• Deficit/surplus: Deficit of $6 billion in 2024-25, $14.6 billion in 2025–26, $7.8 billion in 2026-27, and a surplus of $200 million in 2027-28
• Net debt-to-GDP ratio: 2.9 percentage points lower in 2024-25 than projected as per the 2024 budget
• Revenue outlook: $221.6 billion in 2024-25

The Ministry of Finance highlighted several economic factors shaping the financial update, including uncertainty around tariffs, slower population growth, falling interest rates, and declining inflation.

Core priorities

In alignment with the Progressive Conservative Party’s campaign platform, the budget focuses on two overarching priorities:

1. “Helping Workers and Businesses Weather the Storm” by providing immediate supports for tariff-impacted workers and businesses, and
2. “Protect Ontario” by building a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy, while building Ontario, cleaning up our streets, keeping costs down and delivering better services.

Major funding commitments

To support workers and businesses, the government is:

• Delivering $11 billion in tax deferrals and WSIB rebates
• Launching a $5 billion Protecting Ontario Account
• Enhancing and expanding the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit which will result in an additional $1.3 billion in support.

To protect Ontario, now and into the future, the province is investing towards:

• Economic growth: $500 million for critical mineral processing, $3 billion for Indigenous economic partnerships, and expanded investment attraction tools.
• Trade and industry: New funding for shipbuilding, automotive modernization, and supply chain reshoring.
• Infrastructure: A $200 billion, 10-year capital plan, including $30 billion towards highway expansion and rehabilitation projects, $61 billion for public transit, $56 billion in health infrastructure and over $30 billion to build more schools and childcare spaces with $2 billion allocated for immediate repairs in 2025-26.
• Services and affordability: $2.1 billion for primary care including new diagnostic centres and research funding, along with permanent gas and fuel tax cuts, a $200 taxpayer rebate, and fare integration measures such as removing tolls on Highway 407 East.
• Public safety: $1 billion for police training and infrastructure, expanded enforcement capacity at border points, and new homelessness and addiction recovery programs.

Next steps

In the weeks ahead, the government will begin implementing its fiscal and policy agenda through the following measures:

• Stakeholder engagement: Progressive Conservative MPPs and Ministers will travel across Ontario to meet with stakeholders and community leaders, promoting the measures introduced in the budget.
• Legislative action: The government will introduce new bills and regulations to implement the budget, followed by debate in the Legislature, where opposition parties can respond and propose changes.
• Expenditure estimates: Within 12 sessional days, the government will table detailed spending plans for each ministry, outlining how budget funds will be allocated.

What does this mean for your organization?

This year’s provincial budget introduces several measures that could have direct implications for your sector and operations in Ontario. In the coming days, our team of Public Affairs experts will be providing a deeper analysis of the 2025 budget, including key considerations for specific sectors as well as reactions from industry stakeholders.

As always, NATIONAL is here to help your organization interpret this important financial update and engage with the provincial government to advance your public affairs goals.