2014’s election promises: What has happened since?

By: Chelsey Gould

Growing post-secondary, scrapped pension plan.

The last election held on June 24, 2014, elected Kathleen Wynne as premier of Ontario continuing the Liberal’s power streak since 2003. The election was abruptly called by Wynne to form a Liberal majority government in order to push a $130.4 billion budget. Here are some promises made by the Liberals in 2014’s election campaign and what work has happened during their four-year majority government:

Post-secondary education growth

The Liberals committed to making spaces for 15, 000 post-secondary students by building new college and university campuses (in talks since the 2011 campaign) and increasing apprenticeships. Since 2011’s election, the Liberals promised to add three new universities. They are currently focused on developing two new universities in Brampton and Milton in the face of an exploding population.

Last year Ontario contributed $4.7 million while the federal government committed $31.1 million to Ryerson University’s infrastructure development. Currently, the student population is increasing despite a lack of classroom space. From 2011 to 2016, the population rose from 26,663 students to 35,166. During this time the Image Arts Building and Student Learning Centre were built with increased study and research space, but no new lecture spaces. The completion of the Centre for Urban Innovation and Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Centre in 2018 will increase lecture and study spaces, but it is unclear if that will match population growth.

Transit funding

The Liberals promised to invest in public transit and transportation projects as part of its budget plan going into the election.

Earlier this year $31.5 billion was invested in transportation across the province and committed to increasing public transportation gas funding to 2.5 cents per litre by 2019 and eventually raising to four cents. The province committed $11.35 billion focused mostly on GO Transit projects and the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT projects. Toronto Mayor John Tory appealed to the province earlier this year to match federal funding (up to 40 per cent of the projects); the Liberals did not budge.

Minimum wage, beer in grocery stores

In December 2015 the government launched a program allowing grocery stores with permits to sell beer with a volume lower than 7.1 per cent alcohol. It mandates at least 20 per cent of space to be devoted to Ontario craft beer.

The Liberals are set on their promise to gradually inflate minimum wage, with an in-progress labour reform bill set to raise it to $15 by 2019.  Just prior to the previous election the minimum wage was raised from $10.25 to $11 and has since risen to $11.60 (as of Oct. 1).

Scrapped pension plan

Wynne promised that if elected, an Ontario Pension Plan would be established with 1.9 per cent of employees’ annual income incorporated into their pension.

On June 21, 2016, Wynne announced that the government had scrapped the plan due to a deal struck by the federal government and provinces, raising the CPP to similar standards.