A three-year Skills to Jobs Action Plan received $1.5 billion to train unemployed workers, expand apprenticeships, build more spaces in colleges and universities and help students with education costs.

“The government has put a focus on job training, but we’ve lost 194,000 good paying manufacturing jobs over the last two years, including 1,200 in our riding, mostly in the north end,” said Wilson.

He said the budget completely left out Ontario potato farmers, who had asked for $12.8 million to help recover from the drought last summer.

Health care is also missing out, according to Wilson.

No new money was announced for hospitals in yesterday’s Liberal budget, the first since Dalton McGuinty’s government won last fall’s election.

Wilson said hospitals with an operating budget deficit this year will have to make internal cuts just to break even.

Long-term care has received $107 million over three years. Most of that has been earmarked for hiring 2,500 personal support workers. Wilson said the need is for new beds to accommodate the growing number of seniors on waiting lists.

There was some good news for seniors in the budget though.

Low-income seniors will see a $250 property tax grant that comes into effect in 2009, rise to $500 in 2010.

Expansions to the 211 Ontario system, available in South Simcoe next month, will also assist seniors access referrals to local community, government and social services.

For more on yesterday’s budget, and its local impact, visit our website www.allistonherald.com.