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Many Ontarians have likely heard a horror story or two about their government’s growing debt and the resulting strain on public finances. You can’t blame them. Sources of evidence abound.

Consider the sobering comparisons with California, once the poster government of fiscal imprudence, showing Ontarians carrying over five times more debt per person. Or take the damning analysis contained in the government’s own Drummond Report, calling for no less than 360 reforms to simply balance the budget within five years. And most recently, alarm bells were sounded by the provincial auditor general, warning of a credit rating downgrade and ever more tax dollars syphoned away to simply pay interest on existing debt.

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Here’s some context: Since the recession, Ontario’s debt has expanded from 28% of the provincial economy to an expected 40% this year. This represents an increase of over $117 billion — or $7,800 more debt per Ontarian. All told, the debt now sits at $287 billion or approximately $21,000 for each man, woman, and child in the province.