Leaders’ election promises on child care, gas prices, vague on details today
TORONTO — The leaders of two of Ontario’s main political parties trumpeted major campaign promises Wednesday — lower gas prices and subsidized child care — that they said would make life more affordable for average people, but were vague on the details.
Doug Ford promised to cut gas prices by 10 cents a litre if his Progressive Conservatives win next month’s election, saying he’d do so by cutting the provincial gas tax and scrapping the cap-and-trade system. But he wasn’t clear on how he’d replace the billions in revenue that would be lost by taking those actions.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, meanwhile, wouldn’t provide details of what families earning more than $40,000 would pay for child care under her plan for the province.
The New Democrats are proposing to fully subsidize public, licensed, not-for-profit child care for those earning less than $40,000 if elected next month, while childcare fees for households earning more than that would be based on ability to pay, with the average cost coming to $12 a day.