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We have honoured this commitment, and are set to return to balanced budgets starting next year, faster than all but one G7 nation, and with debt to GDP half the average of the G7. How did we do it? Through modest spending restraint, as well as tax cuts to individuals and employers to stimulate the economy, while protecting critical social services.

The numbers speak for themselves. This fiscal year, transfer payments to provincial governments will reach a record $65-billion, an increase of 56% since we took office in 2006. This increase represents more than $1,700 on average for every household every year.

There are three main transfer payments to provincial governments: the Canada Health Transfer, Canada Social Transfer, and Equalization. All three have seen significant increases since 2006.

During the provincial election and more recently Premier Wynne claimed that Ontario is not getting its fair share of federal money. This is both false and sad. False because it is contradicted by the facts and sad because Ontario used to take pride in being a contributor to Confederation and now is squabbling for a greater piece of the pie.

Federal funding to Ontario has increased to a record $19.2-billion, up 76% since we took office in 2006. Two billion dollars of that is from an Equalization program created to transfer money to “have not” provinces whose economies are performing below the national average. Equalization, which is built into Canada’s Constitution, is designed to help less prosperous provinces provide similar levels of public services at comparable levels of taxation to others. It totalled $16.7-billion in 2014-15, up 53% since 2005-06.