Today was Ontario budget day.

The reigning Liberal government [[nominally the centrist party) came out with a deficit financed spending plan w/money for any number of worth causes.

The short list:

Free pre-school [[childcare) for 2.5 year olds to 4 year olds.

Removing all deductibles and co-pays for prescription drugs for seniors [[the province already covers seniors drugs subject to a $100 per year deductible and a co-pay of $6 per prescription) This would mean everyone up to age 24 and seniors would be covered by government.

A new plan to reimburse up to 80% of dental/drug costs for anyone working age who does not have benefits through work [[albeit up to a tiny limit of $400)

Vast numbers of new school-age daycare spaces

Along with substantial new fare subsidies for regional transit in the Toronto area, reducing GO transit [[commuter rail) fares inside City limits to $3.

Oh, and 11B for highspeed rail in the Toronto-Windsor corridor. [[likely enough to get to London)

Now the asterisk to all this is there is an election pending in June, and the current government is not particularly popular.

Which means its entirely unclear if these promises will see the light of day.

The upcoming election will be fascinating as it pits the centrist party up against a resurgent, populist Conservative party led by Doug Ford [[older brother of Toronto's late infamous Mayor) and a 'left wing' party in the NDP.

Is the 'left turn' real? TBD June 7th, 2018