Ontario finance minister to table fall economic update

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy is set to provide an update on the province's finances today by tabling his government's fall economic statement.

In a recent speech, Bethlenfalvy said Ontario has weathered the impact of tariffs better than economists had predicted, but the slower economy has affected the deficit.

He says deficits are not desirable in the long term, but are necessary in the current environment. 

Ontario closed out the 2025-26 fiscal year with a $13-billion deficit, and Bethlenfalvy says that this year's is projected to be higher, which would be in line with the spring budget forecast of $13.8 billion.

He said Wednesday in a pre-economic statement announcement that Ontario is matching the federal government's recent move to give businesses a tax break on capital investments.

Premier Doug Ford also recently announced more than $8 billion in joint funding to protect tariff-hit industries, including provincial funding of $1.67 billion for a steel action fund and $1 billion for the automotive industry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2026.

By Allison Jones | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.