Two Ford government ministers touted the province's increasing infrastructure spending Thursday when they released the annual public accounts of government spending — and defended their decision to spend unknown billions on a controversial highway project.
Ontario's spending on infrastructure was up 22.9 per cent in 2023-24 from the year before, to a total of $23.6 billion, including spending on roads, highways, public transit, hospitals, schools and other projects.
"This significant investment will help build the roads, highways, public transit, hospitals, schools and other community infrastructure that will define the Ontario of tomorrow," said Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney at a press conference on the release of the public accounts.
"Notable infrastructure projects include the expansion of Highway 401 in Cambridge, new contract awards to build the Bradford bypass, and our historic plan to expand the subway system by 50 per cent."
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said the infrastructure the province is paying for makes up a large part of the province's debt load.
"I think, if you're going to borrow money, I like to borrow money for things that are going to be around for a long time — subways, roads, hospitals — and so that's a good use of debt," he said.
The ministers were questioned by a CityNews reporter about whether that money was being spent wisely.
"Are you spending that infrastructure money in the right way?" he asked and cited reporting by The Trillium on internal government modelling that shows the controversial Highway 413 project is not expected to significantly reduce congestion in the region. "You're not even saying how many billions you're spending on it."
"Have you been to Brampton lately? Try getting around there, around here," replied Bethlenfalvy. "We've got gridlock. We gotta continue to invest. It's gonna get worse if we don't invest, not just in the 413, in the subways that we're building here."
"We're building subways and more public transit, the GO system, than we've ever done," he continued.
The province has refused to release an estimate of the cost of the 413 highway project, while outside estimates have ranged from $4 billion to $10 billion.
There are more infrastructure projects that are yet unannounced, according to the premier.
At a recent speech to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Doug Ford teased some ideas he called "really, really game-changing things that we're going to do in transportation" that his campaign manager who was in attendance, Kory Teneycke, would "shoot" him if he revealed.
Afterwards, Ford told reporters the ideas related to two congested stretches of highway, the Gardiner Expressway and Highway 401.
Asked about Ford's hints earlier this week, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria didn't give anything away.
"Well look," he said, "our government's one that has always been building in this province. We are excited about the ... close to $30 billion over the next 10 years, that we're spending on roads, bridges and highways, and we'll continue to deliver for the people of this province."
—with files from Aidan Chamandy
