Cuts to Public Services Since 2018
FAO-documented funding shortfalls · Ford government, 2018–present
Healthcare
Projected shortfall through 2028
Education (K–12)
10-year operating funding shortfall
>$6B
FAO / OSSTFSchool Infrastructure
Repair & construction shortfall
Post-Secondary Education
Projected shortfall through 2027–28
>$2.7B
FAO Expenditure MonitorSocial & Children's Services
Children, community & social services underspend
>$3.7B
FAO / CBCTotal documented shortfall (CAD)
>$46B
Figures represent spending shortfalls documented by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO), an independent officer of the Ontario Legislature. Shortfalls measure actual or projected government spending against its own stated commitments and population-adjusted baselines. These are not direct "cuts" in all cases — many reflect chronic underfunding relative to inflation, population growth, and service demand.
Total Estimated Obligations
Total obligations estimate · on-book debt + off-book liabilities
Net Debt (on-book)
Accumulated borrowing; projected by 2026–27
Infrastructure Maintenance Backlog
Deferred capital: roads, hospitals, transit, schools
~$300B+
Various — FAO, AECOM, FCMPension & Post-Employment Obligations
Public sector pension + post-employment benefit liabilities
~$200–300B
Ontario Public AccountsEnvironmental & Contingent Liabilities
Site remediation, legal contingencies, Crown corp. exposure
Total estimated obligations (CAD)
~$1T+
The ~$1T figure represents total government obligations, not the annual deficit or net debt alone. Net debt (~$430B) appears in official accounts; infrastructure backlog, pension obligations, and contingent liabilities are largely off-book and disputed between analysts. Methodology varies — some estimates are higher. Ontario carries one of the largest sub-sovereign debt loads in the world.
2026-27 Ontario Budget
Last scraped: June 4, 2026 · Source: Ontario Budget 2026-27
Spending by Ministry
| Ministry / Program | Amount |
|---|---|
| ▶Health3 related scandals | $91.8B |
| ▶Education3 related scandals | $42.5B |
| ▶Children, Community and Social Services3 related scandals | $21.4B |
| ▶Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security | $14.0B |
| ▶Long-Term Care (Total)3 related scandals | $9.4B |
| ▶Transportation | $8.6B |
| ▶Energy and Mines3 related scandals | $8.1B |
| ▶Energy and Mines — Electricity Cost Relief Programs3 related scandals | $6.9B |
| ▶Solicitor General3 related scandals | $4.8B |
| ▶Treasury Board Secretariat3 related scandals | $3.8B |
| ▶Infrastructure3 related scandals | $3.2B |
| ▶Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security — Student Financial Assistance | $2.4B |
| ▶Attorney General3 related scandals | $2.4B |
| ▶Tourism, Culture and Gaming | $2.2B |
| ▶Finance3 related scandals | $2.1B |
| ▶Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development | $2.0B |
| ▶Treasury Board Secretariat — Employee and Pensioner Benefits3 related scandals | $1.9B |
| ▶Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade | $1.9B |
| ▶Municipal Affairs and Housing3 related scandals | $1.8B |
| ▶Education — Teachers’ Pension Plan3 related scandals | $1.8B |
| ▶Infrastructure — Realty3 related scandals | $1.7B |
| ▶Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development — Demand-Driven Employment and Training Programs | $1.6B |
| ▶Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement | $1.5B |
| ▶Treasury Board Secretariat — Operating Contingency Fund3 related scandals | $1.4B |
| ▶Environment, Conservation and Parks3 related scandals | $1.2B |
| ▶Tourism, Culture and Gaming — Ontario Cultural Media Tax Credits | $1.0B |
| ▶Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness3 related scandals | $1.0B |
| ▶Municipal Affairs and Housing — Time-Limited Investments3 related scandals | $991.3M |
| ▶Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade — Time-Limited Investments | $950.3M |
| ▶Northern Economic Development and Growth | $927.9M |
| ▶Natural Resources3 related scandals | $889.5M |
| ▶Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade — Tax Credits for Business Investment and Research and Development | $758.3M |
| ▶Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness — Demand-Driven Risk Management and Time-Limited Programs3 related scandals | $710.3M |
| ▶Finance — Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund3 related scandals | $600.0M |
| ▶Infrastructure — Municipal Infrastructure Program Investments3 related scandals | $600.0M |
| ▶Transportation — Federal−Provincial Infrastructure Programs3 related scandals | $556.3M |
| ▶Board of Internal Economy | $399.2M |
| ▶Energy and Mines — High-Speed Internet3 related scandals | $351.1M |
| ▶Finance — Investment Management Corporation of Ontario3 related scandals | $321.7M |
| ▶Sport | $285.1M |
| ▶Sport — Time-Limited Investments | $221.2M |
| ▶Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation | $179.0M |
| ▶Seniors and Accessibility | $178.1M |
| ▶Treasury Board Secretariat — Capital Contingency Fund3 related scandals | $150.0M |
| ▶Natural Resources — Emergency Forest Firefighting3 related scandals | $150.0M |
| ▶Infrastructure — Federal−Provincial Infrastructure Programs3 related scandals | $121.6M |
| ▶Seniors and Accessibility — Seniors Tax Credit | $100.2M |
| ▶Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development — Co-operative Education Tax Credit3 related scandals | $98.1M |
| ▶Energy and Mines — Time-Limited Investments3 related scandals | $89.8M |
| ▶Citizenship and Multiculturalism | $83.0M |
| ▶Executive Offices | $82.6M |
| ▶Emergency Preparedness and Response | $69.9M |
| ▶Finance — Power3 related scandals | $42.5M |
| ▶Infrastructure — Waterfront Toronto Revitalization3 related scandals | $35.0M |
| ▶Rural Affairs | $19.3M |
| ▶Finance — Temporary and Other Local Assistance3 related scandals | $17.7M |
| ▶Francophone Affairs | $13.3M |
| ▶Attorney General — Bad Debt Expense3 related scandals | $5.3M |
| ▶Francophone Affairs — Time-Limited Investments | $4.4M |