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“I think that what the ministry is not being up front about is where they are going to be able to find the cuts to be able to balance their budgets,” Horwath said. “The FAO has put forward clear evidence the cuts in program spending need to be deep and severe if they are going to come anywhere close to their projections.”

Finance Minister Charles Sousa accused the opposition of “not having read the report” and said it confirms that his government can balance its books, as tough as that will be.

“The FOA had made it very clear in his report that it’s highly expect the government will exceed again its deficit targets this year,” Sousa said. He also said the government has been “very clear” about where it’s planning to cut program spending, despite the ambiguity LeClair highlighted.

His ministry’s projections will soon be updated in its Fall Economic Statement and he said it will address some of the concerns raised in he report. That mid-year fiscal check-up might shed more light on how the government will cope with slow growth this year.

The end of funding to the Pan Am Games will save the province about $500 million a year and the cancellation of the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit another $1 billion a year, which LeClair notes will help the course to balance.

However, he warns that the province will have to average one third of its recent spending growth and improve its current deficit reduction progress four times over in order to hit balance. It’s not impossible, but he says the government has yet to explain how it will further reduce spending growth even as population and price inflation increase demand for services.