Bills, bills, bills

If you, like me, had hopes that the morning after Spring Fling would be relatively quiet news-wise, think again.

ABOVE THE FOLD

If you, like me, had hopes that the morning after Spring Fling would be relatively quiet news-wise, think again. There’s loads to dig into:

BIG BILL — Ontarians may have to hold out a little longer to get back in the black. That’s the upshot from the budget watchdog’s latest analysis of the Ford government’s spring budget, which charts a path to balance by fiscal 2026-27 (just in time for the next scheduled election).

But according to Financial Accountability Officer JEFFREY NOVAK’s numbers, the budget hole won’t be closed until two years later in 2028-29, when the watchdog predicts the province will run a $1.8-billion surplus.

Meanwhile for 2023-24, the FAO is projecting a smaller deficit of $900,000 compared to the $3 billion shortfall the PCs forecast in the budget.

The discrepancy is mainly thanks to lower-than-expected revenue and spending. Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and inflation rates are also a factor.

Oppo Finance critic CATHERINE FIFE called it “repeated…