Abstract: "The budget bill is widely considered the Ontario Government’s most important annual bill; the document offers a comprehensive overview of the government’s priorities for the upcoming year, and reflects the government’s long-term vision for the province. The release of the budget elicits a hive of activity, as the media and opposition parties analyze the text and offer commentary about the government’s anticipated actions. In recent years, however, opposition parties have expressed numerous concerns about Ontario’s budget bills, ranging from the size of the bill to the amount of time reserved for debating each clause, and the inclusion of non-fiscal items in budget bills. These concerns warrant investigation, given each budget’s importance to Ontario’s short- and long-term governance and general wellbeing.

This paper seeks to examine how Ontario’s budget bill’s have evolved since 1990, and whether these shifts have impeded the opposition’s ability to review budget bills in a meaningful fashion. I intend on overviewing the length of each budget bill from 1990-2015, the amount of time allocated for committee debate, and the procedural tactics used by the government and opposition to stimulate or restrict debate. Attention will also be directed towards non-fiscal items in the budget. I will complement these findings by interviewing legislative officials and politicians who have worked closely with the budget, and by assessing whether they believe the opposition can meaningfully review budget bills in their current form."