Adedokun Waliyu 
The Ford government will deliver its budget on March 26.
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy confirmed the date in a post on X on Thursday morning.
“Join me as I outline how we’re rebuilding Ontario’s economy without raising taxes and fees or putting more burden on businesses and municipalities,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) reported that the Ford government had spent an additional $2.3 billion through the first three quarters of the year.
Higher-than-planned spending in education and health was largely due to compensating workers for the impact of Bill 124, the wage restraint law that was declared unconstitutional by the province’s top court.
As noted by the FAO the province’s contingency fund has grown to $5.1 billion after starting the fiscal year at $4 billion with the suggestion being that some of the money is being allocated for Bill 124 backpayments.
In an economic statement last fall, Minister Bethlenfalvy projected the deficit would balloon to more than $5.6 billion citing elevated interest rates and stubborn inflation as the primary reasons putting pressure on the province’s economy.
At that time, the finance minister targeted 2025-2026 as the year to achieve a balanced budget with a projected $500-million surplus.
