Rae says Fall Economic Statement will continue to Support and Protect Rural Ontario

November 6, 2025

[Queen’s Park]— Today, Ontario’s Minister of Finance, the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, introduced the 2025 Fall Economic Statement. The government’s plan to protect Ontario by building a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy. 

“This year’s Fall Economic Statement will continue to support vital investments in our rural communities,” said Matthew Rae, Member of Provincial Parliament for Perth-Wellington. “In the face of Trump’s unjustified tariffs, our government is stepping up to protect and support Ontario families and small businesses, while making life more affordable. We will continue to work to make Ontario the most competitive jurisdiction in the G7 to invest, create jobs, and do business.”  

“With tariffs taking direct aim at Ontario workers and communities, it has never been more important for the government to deliver on its plan to protect Ontario. We continue to make historic investments in highways, transit, health care and all the other services our communities rely on, so we can build for our growing province. We are doing this all while keeping costs down for families and helping unleash Ontario’s full economic potential,” said Minister Bethlenfalvy. “We are able to take unprecedented steps to protect Ontario thanks to our commitment to fiscal prudence, which has put Ontario’s finances in the strongest position they have been in over a decade.”

“Our government understands that increasing taxes only hurts the average family and makes Ontario less competitive in the global market. Ontario families deserve more money back in their pockets and continue to build on our track record of doing just that,” added Rae.  

In the 2025-26 fiscal year, the Government of Ontario has committed nearly $11.5 billion in direct relief for individuals and families.

Highlights of the 2025 Fall Economic Statementinclude: 

  • Rebating the full provincial portion of the HST for first-time home buyers of most new homes. Ontario’s new rebate would eliminate the full 8 per cent provincial portion of the HST for first-time home buyers on qualifying new homes valued up to $1 million, saving home buyers up to $80,000 off the cost of a new home. 
  • Permanently reducing gasoline and fuel tax rates, saving households, on average, $115 per year.
  • Continue to ensure electricity bills remain affordable, stable, and predictable for households, small businesses and family farms. The government has invested about $2 billion annually, on average, in recent years to keep electricity bills low and stable. 
  • Investing an additional $100 million through the Ontario Together Trade Fund too further help small and medium-sized businesses diversify into new markets and strengthen trade resiliency. This is part of a total investment of $150 million over three years.
  • Continuing to make investments in our public healthcare system, with over $250 million to create and expand approximately 75 additional primary care teams; which is part of the government’s larger investment of $2.1 billion through the Primary Care Action Plan.
  • Investing $1.1 billion over three years to extend home care services and the Hospital to Home (H2H) program.
  • Investing an additional $1.6 billion through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to speed up construction of homes and critical infrastructure, bringing the program to a total of $4 billion in support for municipalities. 

Ontario’s 2025-26 deficit is projected to be $13.5 billion –an improvement of $1.1 billion from the outlook published in the 2025 Budget. Over the medium term, the government is forecasting a deficit of $7.8 billion in 2026-27 and a surplus of $0.2 billion in 2027-28.

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