Dear Friends,

The day that the provincial budget was released Thursday, March 26 I remember watching the news and being struck by the number of times newscasters introduced the subject with, "What's in this year's budget, and how will it affect YOU?" The messaging was clear: we should be interested in the finances of our province from a purely selfish standpoint. As Christians, however, it is our joyful duty to consider not just our own situation, but that of others indeed, "the least of these." My response was to ask, "What is in this year's budget, and how will it affect our neighbours?"

According to the media, the stand-out items worth reporting in the 2026 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario were such things as small business tax cuts and an HST rebate for all buyers of new homes. But if you read the provincial budget in its entirety (and honestly, how many of us do?) you begin to grasp how it affects every Ontarian.

That is why I am so grateful to Elin Goulden, our Social Justice and Advocacy consultant, and the members of the Social Justice and Advocacy Committee of our Diocese for combing so carefully through the provincial budget every year, and for highlighting many of the details that don't get reported on the news but have far-reaching implications for our entire province. This open statement, prepared by SJAC, was shared with the College of Bishops this week, and we read it with concern. We share it with you now for your own prayerful consideration.

Each year we are invited to give our input to the government before the provincial budget is crafted, and we try our best to speak up for the poor, the unemployed or underemployed, the vulnerable, the disabled, seniors, students, immigrants and refugees, and all persons who are too often overlooked. We also speak up for the health and integrity of our natural environment. We are so disappointed when our recommendations are ignored.

As your bishops, we will continue to speak out for the marginalized in society, and we invite you to add your voice to ours. Our Social Justice and Advocacy Committee provides helpful resources for engaging with elected representatives, including tips for letter-writing and in-person meetings. While these are helpful during election campaign periods, we encourage you to keep the dialogue going at other times, too. Our elected officials need to know that we are paying attention and that their decisions matter. We will be providing talking points for conversations with MPPs on this budget in the coming days.

Many of us renewed our baptismal covenant during the Easter Vigil less than two weeks ago. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are committed to loving our neighbours, ensuring their well-being and safeguarding the integrity of God's creation, so that all persons may live with dignity as God's beloved children on God's beloved earth.

Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto

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