Handout 3.3: Select Recommendations from the Drummond Report Below are a few of the recommendations included in the Report on the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services (The ‘Drummond’ Report) which have been highlighted by media. Some include background information to provide context to the recommendation. The complete list of recommendations can be found in the report posted on the Ministry of Finance Web site (http://www.fin.gov.on.ca).
• Terminate the Ontario “clean air benefit,” the 10 per cent rebate on electricity bills that costs the treasury $1 billion. Background: Ontario's Long-Term Energy Plan involves moving the province towards clean sources of power while shutting down coal plants that pollute the air we breathe. This upgrading and modernizing will lead to higher bills. To make this transition easier for families, the Ontario government said it would provide 10 per cent off electricity bills for the next five years (starting January 1, 2011). An average household can expect to save approximately $150 each year through the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit.
• Increase the cap on class size in Grade 1 to 3 from 20 children to 23. Increase the average class size from 22 to 24 in Grades 9 to 12 and from 24.5 to 26 in Grades 4 to 8. Background: "Reducing class sizes in kindergarten through Grade 3 is a big part of our plan to help our students succeed in reading, writing and math," said Premier McGuinty. "We know that kids in smaller classes in the early years get more individual attention and are more likely to reach their full potential." (September 5, 2006)
• Overhaul full-day kindergarten by moving to a cheaper model with one teacher in the classroom and delaying full implementation from 2014-15 to 2017-18. Background: Ontario's full-day kindergarten program aims to prepare children academically and socially for Grade 1. The hope is that children will develop the reading, writing and math skills they need earlier in their lives, so they can succeed in school and down the road. The program also aids families by reducing the need and cost of day care. The full-day kindergarten program currently reaches approximately 50 per cent of all 4-5 year olds.
• Consider removing the 30 per cent Ontario tuition grant, a fee rebate for most college and undergraduate university students which is expected to cost $423 million this year. Background: The Government of Ontario plans to launch a new program which will grant a nonrepayable rebate to help full-time Ontario students offset tuition costs for up to 4 years. The grant will be worth 30 per cent of average tuition fees for first-entry non-professional programs and will increase each year as tuition rises. The grant will be worth $800 for university students and $365 for college students for this winter term. The government expects that over 300,000 Ontario students will be eligible.
• Connect the Ontario Drug Benefit program (which provides free prescription drugs for those over 65 and those on social assistance) to level of income and remove privileges from more affluent seniors. Background: People 65 years of age and older are eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program. If you are a single senior with an income of more than $16,018, you pay a $100 deductible for prescriptions filled every year. Once you reach the deductible, you pay up to $6.11 towards the ODB dispensing fee for each prescription. If you are in the lower income co-payment category (less than $16,018), there is no deductible and you may be asked to pay up to $2 for each prescription filled. • Close one of the two casinos in Niagara Falls — likely the older Casino Niagara — and allow slot machines in gambling facilities beyond just casinos and racetracks. Background: The Slots at Racetracks Initiative, which allows slot machines to be co-located at racetrack facilities only, earmarks a share of revenues generated from slots for racetrack owners and horse breeders. This amounted to $334 million in 2009-2010. Municipalities that play host to a racetrack also receive a share — five per cent of proceeds from the first 450 slot machines at the facility and two per cent for each machine over that. This totaled $78 million in 2009-2010. • Order the Liquor Control Board of Ontario monopoly to open additional stores beyond the existing 620 outlets and use its purchasing power better to improve profits. • No raises for civil servants unless they find ways to do their jobs more cheaply. Any raises would come from the resulting savings.
