Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

Chapter 20: Intergovernmental Relations
Recommendation 20-1: Establish an understanding with the federal government that actions
taken at the federal level pose fiscal risks to Ontario.
Recommendation 20-2: Advocate strongly for reforming federal programs that are not
working effectively in Ontario’s interests.
Recommendation 20-3: Advocate for reforms to Equalization by, at a minimum, fully
capturing resource revenues and accommodating differing price levels between provinces.
Recommendation 20-4: Simultaneously eliminate the Canada Social Transfer and transfer
the equivalent tax points to the provinces.
Recommendation 20-5: Advocate for federal greenhouse gas mitigation programs to provide
fair and equitable support for Ontario’s clean energy initiatives.
Recommendation 20-6: Sort out areas of responsibility with the federal government where
there is overlap and duplication and establish a more efficient economic and fiscal relationship
that saves money and provides better services to citizens.
Recommendation 20-7: Extend the period of the final $500 million of upload by another two
years, so it is not complete until 2020. For illustration, if we reach 2015’s $232 million by 2017,
that would save $165 million ($397 million minus $232 million).
Recommendation 20-8: Ensure that, beginning in 2013, the Ontario Municipal Partnership
Fund (OMPF) declines to the planned $500 million by 2016. A reasonable assumption would
be a $25 million decrease in each of the next four years beginning in 2013, resulting in a
$500 million OMPF envelope in 2016.
Recommendation 20-9: The province and municipalities must work together to establish an
accountability framework that would track how municipalities are investing the benefits realized
as a result of the uploads.
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