Rural electricity cost relief and northern infrastructure allocation merits a mention
Today the reigning Liberal provincial government gave themselves the opportunity for a reboot on their strategic direction. This is in the context where its approval ratings and the popularity of its leader have been remarkably low given the generally improving economic climate. What does it mean for rural and small town Ontarians distant from the GTA?
From a rural perspective, one of the most noticeable aspects of the speech from the throne was broad consumer electricity bill relief (a rebate on the 8% provincial part of the HST) and an enhancement of the utility bill support program for eligible lower income rural residents. Together the province says that those rural hydro bills will be reduced by about 20% …essentially equivalent to the higher expenditure by rural families on electricity compared to their urban counterparts. This should make a significant difference in countering a growing chorus of concern and criticism the government was receiving from the Hydro One rate payer constituencies.
The only other geographically targeted reference meaningful to rural stakeholders was a reference to the proportion of road and bridge infrastructure to be spent in the north. As well as the now-predictable support for opening up the mineral wealth of the north, presumably through investment in the Ring of Fire.
Clearly there is still a significant emphasis on the Greater Golden Horseshoe area transit investment. While other commitments will no doubt benefit rural and urban residents alike, such as those for homecare and childcare spaces, there was an absence of any strong regional nuance in the governing strategy. This year the province’s Rural Summit was all about rural youth but there seems to be no identifiable new program initiatives flowing from that, and the small but useful Rural Economic Development program that supported community initiatives remains in limbo. Any meaningful response to the real and poignant saga of rural school closures and consolidation remained obscured by references to the benefits of community hubs. Rural stakeholders will have to watch for further specific program and policy announcements to discern if any particular broader rural and small town agenda emerges from this government.
Source: ROI