FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 3, 2026

QUEEN’S PARK, ON — One day after the Doug Ford Conservatives adjourned the Legislature early – and until after Thanksgiving – the FAO’s Economic Monitor confirms that Ontario’s economy continues to stumble under this Conservative government. Stephanie Bowman, MPP for Don Valley West and Ontario Liberal Finance & Trade Critic says, “Instead of focusing on the fundamentals that drive economic growth, the self-interested Doug Ford Conservative government has fled to the cottage while 700,000 Ontarians look for work.

Ontario households continue to struggle with the high cost of groceries and gas. Food inflation is 6.8%, and the FAO estimates higher gas prices will cost the average household an additional $648 in 2026—further squeezing household budgets.

Businesses are facing uncertainty that is holding back investment decisions and delaying expansion plans. This means fewer jobs for families and workers, especially young people here in Ontario. 53,000 Ontarians lost their job in the first quarter of 2026, the steepest loss since 2009, excluding the pandemic. Behind these statistics is a worker, a family, or a young person worried about their future.

Under this self-interested Doug Ford Conservative government, which is spending millions on self-promoting, delusional ads, Ontario’s economy continues to underperform the rest of Canada. After eight years in office, the Premier still has no plan to help young people find their first job or make groceries and the cost of housing more affordable.

Instead of investing in projects that would create jobs and ease the cost-of-living crisis for consumers, the out-of-touch Doug Ford Conservative government chooses to waste taxpayer money on vanity projects and making their insider friends rich. Ontarians deserve a government focused on delivering results, not advertisements. Never has a government spent so much to deliver so little.