Big budget asks

Plus: Clean energy credits, more candidates locked in for 2022, a top civil servant hangs up his hat, ROMA wraps, and the story behind the little red shovel

ABOVE THE FOLD

It’s that time of year again. Stakeholders are making their case for a slice of the provincial budget as part of the consultation process. Here’s what they’re asking for:

— Ontario Public School Boards’ Association: Education, the second-biggest line item in the budget, has gotten extra funding thanks to the pandemic, but school boards say more is needed to make up the gap.

CATHY ABRAHAM, head of the OPSBA, told MPPs on the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs that it’s seeking funding “that recognizes that every community and school board has its own local context that needs to be taken into account. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.”

Topping their funding priorities: Cash to deal with Covid-induced pressures — school boards want full reimbursement for any reserve funds they had to use for pandemic-related expenses, since that arsenal is supposed to be earmarked for specific future projects. Ditto more support for Indigenous education and anti-raci…