Ontario's program spending up $16.7 billion compared to last year, province says
CBC
Ontario's public accounts show that provincial program spending rose by $16.7 billion in the last year compared to 2019-20, which represents the largest year-over-year increase on record, the province says.
In a news release issued Friday morning, government officials said spending included $5.8 billion in the health sector and $1.1 billion in education over that time period.
The news comes after Ontario's fiscal watchdog found earlier this month that the province did not spend any funds from a new $2.7 billion COVID-19 response program in the first quarter, prompting critics to question why the government didn't use the money during the third wave.
Provincial officials are holding a news conference about Ontario's 2020-21 public accounts starting at 11 a.m. You can watch it live in this story.