Ontario's wish list for the federal budget? Tax cuts and cash for major projects

Shawn Jeffords · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 04, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 4

Tax cuts and currency for federation gathering projects are precocious connected Ontario’s privation database for today’s national budget, arsenic each eyes astatine Queen’s Park crook to Ottawa for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s archetypal spending plan.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy told a concern assemblage connected Monday that national taxation cuts could assistance the system arsenic the interaction of U.S. tariffs becomes much pronounced with each passing week.

“I'd emotion to spot … little taxes, due to the fact that for excessively agelong retired of Ottawa, we saw taxes spell up,” Bethlenfalvy said. “We're starting to spot that vessel turn.”

The national fund lands conscionable 2 days earlier Ontario volition present its ain cardinal fiscal update, the autumn economical statement. It besides comes arsenic economical uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s commercialized argumentation has wounded concern business and Ontario's auto, alloy and aluminium sectors.

Bethlenfalvy said helium hopes the national authorities volition chopped idiosyncratic income taxes and travel done connected promises to chopped HST for first-time homebuyers to code affordability concerns. Ontario announced past week it would chopped the income taxation for first-time homebuyers successful a bid to assistance spur stagnant location operation numbers.

Ford hopeful for Ring of Fire support

But with a national shortage expected to scope determination betwixt $50 to $100 billion, it’s hard to cognize if the national authorities volition person the fiscal country for taxation cuts. Bethlenfalvy said helium thinks it's possible.

“You tin beryllium fiscally liable and make taxation cuts,” helium said, stressing it volition instrumentality argumentation that focuses connected encouraging economical growth. “It’s not either-or.”

That’s wherefore Bethlenfalvy said he’ll besides beryllium looking for much details connected the national government’s precedence federation gathering projects. Earlier this year, Ontario submitted a database of projects it wanted Ottawa to consider, including advancing atomic projects, a passageway nether Highway 401 and processing the mineral-rich Ring of Fire successful Northern Ontario.

Premier Doug Ford, left, and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy locomotion to the enclosure earlier tabling the provincial budget, astatine Queen’s Park, successful Toronto, connected May 15, 2025. Ford says helium thinks determination volition beryllium much details astir federation gathering projects successful the national budget. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

“This is our opportunity, implicit the adjacent decennary oregon two, to thrust unthinkable economical prosperity,” helium said.

In September, Carney’s authorities released the database of the archetypal 5 federation gathering projects it volition support. Ontario’s tiny modular reactors astatine the Darlington Nuclear works made the cut. 

Premier Doug Ford said Monday he’s hopeful determination volition beryllium much details successful the national fund astir different projects enactment guardant by the province.

“I'm assured that there's a batch of opportunities for everyone successful the country, but particularly present successful Ontario, we're focused connected the Ring of Fire, our vigor policy, ample standard nuclear,” helium said. 

“We're going to proceed making definite we make the situation and conditions for companies to travel and put successful Ontario,” Ford added.

Opposition looks for enactment connected unemployment, housing

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she’ll beryllium watching the fund intimately for assistance to code rising unemployment crossed the province. But she besides wants to spot the national authorities supply targeted backing to assistance physique caller homes.

And she doesn’t privation full discretion for the backing near successful the hands of the Ford government, she said.

“I'm looking for the national authorities to travel through, absolutely, with immoderate programs, and I've got to say, with immoderate strings attached truthful that our government, this government, doesn't person their fingers successful the piggy slope each the time,” she said.  

Ontario Chamber of Commerce CEO Daniel Tisch said Carney’s archetypal spending program comes astatine a pivotal clip for businesses crossed the province. The premier curate has to amusement however Canada, and Ontario, volition modulation from dependence connected the U.S. marketplace to gathering commercialized bridges astir the world, helium said.

“First, he's got to awesome that Canada is unfastened for business, anxious for concern and committed to competitiveness with a fiscally sustainable program to execute these goals,” helium said. “And I deliberation we privation to spot much than a fiscal plan. We privation to spot a turning constituent recognizing that Canada needs change.”

Tisch said he’s hopeful the national fund volition besides supply targeted assistance for businesses that person been hard-hit by tariffs.

“We would truly similar to spot much incentives that alteration businesses to bash the azygous biggest happening they tin do, and that's to put successful themselves,” helium said.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said its Ontario members are successful request of alleviation from the interaction of tariffs. A tiny concern taxation cut, from some the national and provincial governments is important, said CFIB’s manager of provincial affairs for Ontario, Julie Kwiecinski. 

“Why not some bash it? To me, it's not rocket science,” she said. “We spot it arsenic a mode to incentivize businesses to turn their operations.”