Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley 
Ontario's 2009 budget, which was tabled in the legislature Thursday afternoon, has some good news, according to Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci.
But there is bad news as well, according to Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas.
The downside is that Ontario's budget deficit will be $14.1 billion in the fiscal year 2009/2010.
That means tough slogging for the Ontario economy.
However, Bartolucci said the north will benefit from provincial infrastructure funding available to match recently-announced federal infrastructure funding.
"This is a good news budget for northern Ontario. Our government will spend $32.5 billion on infrastructure," said Bartolucci.
According to Dwight Duncan, Ontario Minster of Finance, Ontario will spend that money on infrastructure over the next two years for highways, bridges and hospitals, while modernizing schools and fixing municipal buildings.
Bartolucci will be outlining details of what that means for Greater Sudbury Friday morning at a Sudbury and District Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Radisson Hotel.
"I will be announcing details tomorrow on a major roads program and on money for a community adjustment program, to help with those who have lost their jobs," said Bartolucci.
"We have got to have the worst roads in the world," admitted Bartolucci.
According to Mayor John Rodriguez, the fact the province is still committed to provincial infrastructure spending means the $30 million the city puts in the infrastructure pot can be matched by both levels of government.
"I am delighted because infrastructure spending is the most important aspect of the Ontario budget for our community," he said.
That will ensure the city streets will be clogged with equipment intent on mending the city's crumbling roads, he said Wednesday.
"That will create jobs in the city. How many I can't project, but there will be jobs for those who do this kind of work."
He also was hoping the federal government would route its funding through the province.
"If they do that then that will certainly help us, considering we have Rick Bartolucci as our MPP."
Rodriguez was also happy the so-called MUSH sector,
municipalities, universities and hospitals, were left unscathed
and enjoyed a modest gain from the Finance Minister.
That pleased Greater Sudbury's interm chief administrative
officer as well, Doug Nadorozny.
"I like the steady as we go approach to the budget. It is forward looking, talking about investing in new and emerging technologies. That could help our research facilities at both Cambrian Collage and Laurentian University. I was concerned the MUSH sector might suffer but it looks like we will do OK," he noted.
For example, in the budget, hospitals were slated to get an increase of 2.1 per cent.
Bartolucci said people also need support to make it through tough times. To that end, the provincial Liberals are proposing a single tax, harmonizing the federal and provincial sales taxes.
Taxes in general for individuals and families are to be reduced.
-93 per cent of Ontario taxpayers would pay less personal
income tax
-eligible families with an income below $160,000 would receive
three payments from the provincial government totaling
$1,000-the first would be delivered in June 2010
-eligible individuals with an income of less than $80,000 would
receive three payments totaling $300.
But Gelinas said the harmonization of the GST and the PST was a blatant tax grab.
"Look, they are taxing items that we never paid provincial tax on before. Heating oil for example, which many in Nickel Belt still use, will have the eight per cent PST added on to it. If you pay $2,000 to fill up your vehicle every year then now you will pay the PST. That extra eight per cent amounts to $160 per year extra."
Gelinas said the tax hit on lower and middle class earners is to pay for a shocking array of deep corporate tax cuts.
"These tax cuts the Liberals are proposing seems straight out of a Conservative policy document. These are huge cuts when the government's ability to raise revenue is decreasing due to the recession."
She also noted the government will reign in the public service.
"They are announcing a five per reduction in the civil service through attrition but also though other means. What do they mean, by other means?"
Promises for more nurses and personal support workers (PSWs) have been neglected, she said.
"The proposed 9,000 extra nurses have been reduced to 900 new nurses. The 2,500 PSW positions have not made it into the budget. Promises to increase hours of care for long term care facilities have not been kept."
Gelinas is also concerned that the provincial money targeted for the proposed Chelmsford long term care facility has been pushed back to 2012.
"This concerns me because we need that facility opened sooner to handle the very dire crisis we face with the alternative level of care (ALC) patients that are taking up beds at the Sudbury Regional Hospital. What happens when the one site hospital comes into operation with fewer beds?"
She also was concerned about cuts to the Ministry of Natural Resources and francophone affairs budgets.
"Our wildlife will be unprotected. Our francophone centres, if they are dependent on provincial funding, may see cuts."
