Fiscal watchdog finds Ontario spent $7.2 billion less than planned, projects smaller deficit

Ontario's fiscal watchdog is projecting a deficit $5.4 billion smaller than the most recent figure projected by the government.

The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) said it arrived at its deficit figure of $8.1 billion after reviewing government spending and finding that the province spent less than planned across all programs.

The government had projected a deficit of $13.5 billion in its most recent budget.

The watchdog report published Tuesday found the province spent $7.2 billion less than planned in the last fiscal year. There was also a $1.8 billion balance left in unallocated contingency funds.

In a news release, Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner said the report confirms that the Ford government has been underspending on critical services like healthcare. 

"Hospitals across the province are closing their emergency rooms because they don't have the staff to run them," said Schreiner.

"It's shameful and inexcusable to underspend on healthcare while nurses and other healthcare workers are burnt out, emergency rooms are overflowing if not closing outright."

Ivana Yelich, a spokesperson for Ontario premier Doug Ford, said in a tweet that FAO reports numbers based on "outdated" figures that don't reflect actual government spending.

"Just because money wasn't recorded as spent by the time the requested the FAO requested the data, doesn't mean the money hasn't been or won't be spent," said Yelich.

The FAO says the savings will go to reducing the province's budget deficit and net debt.