Analysts continue to declare the winners, losers and uncertain parties of Ontario's 2019 budget today as many in the province learn more about what Premier Doug Ford has in store for our fiscal future.

There's plenty to celebrate based on initial reactions among the populace: Dental care for low-income seniors, flexible child care tax credits for eligible families, promises of lower auto insurance rates and public transit improvements among them.

More permissive regulations surrounding alcohol and gambling are also being well-received, but not well enough to quiet those who take issue with Ford's budget cuts and perceived priorities.

Ontario Budget: @ontariogreens leader @mikeschreiner: “It’s clear what they want to protect is booze, gambling, & tailgating. They mention booze & gambling 63 times & poverty 0 times.” #onpoli #budget2019

— Steve Paikin (@spaikin) April 11, 2019

Here are a few of the more controversial moves (or lack thereof) proposed in the PC government's first provincial budget:

Abolishing legal aid for refugees

Thursday's budget saw the government pull around $133 million from Legal Aid Ontario. It also stipulates that the organization can no longer spend provincial funds on immigration or refugee cases, arguing that the federal government should be responsible for the latter.

The so-called government #forthepeople has slashed Legal Aid Ontario funding by more than a third and cut 100% of legal aid for immigration and refugee matters. This will be devastating for low income Ontarians and access to justice.

— Chris Horkins (@chorkins) April 11, 2019

Ignoring climate change

A 35 per cent cut to the Ontario's Ministry of the Environment is being panned by Greenpeace Canada today as "the most anti-environmental budget in Ontario since the deadly tainted-water disaster in Walkerton."

A government spokesperson told the CBC that more than $300 million in cuts can be attributed to the end of Ontario's cap-and-trade system and the cancellation of the Drive Clean program.

RIP the environment. But at least we can drink in parks! Glad @fordnation has his priorities straight! https://t.co/ej3Q3bgHSj #ONbudget19 #ONBudget #FordCutsHurt #Environment

— Thea Silver (@TheaSilver1) April 12, 2019

Cuts to Indigenous services 

The largest cut to any ministry was that of Indigenous affairs, which will see its budget shrink from $146-million to $74-million—a reduction of nearly 50 per cent minus one-time investments including land-claim settlements.

The Ford regime has cut nearly 50% from Indigenous Affairs in Ontario.

Clearly, Indigenous people are not "the people" in Ontario.

I will fight this government with every ounce of my being. I hope you will too.#onpoli #onbudget #budget2019

— Sean Conway (@seanconwayptbo) April 11, 2019

Changes to education

While the PC government does plan to invest $1.4 billion into Ontario's education system during the upcoming school year, a spending freeze in the same category is scheduled for 2020-2021.

At the post-secondary level, low-income students will no longer be eligible for free tuition. Colleges and universities will also see their operating budgets tied to "performance targets" and could lose up to 60 per cent of their provincial funding for failing to meet said targets.

Nearly $700 million in overall funding for post-secondary education will be cut as part of this budget.

I beg to differ. Aiming to balance #Ontario budget only after the next election isn't a serious plan. Freezing education spending will hardly boost future economic growth. Confused or even incoherent would be a better description. #onpoli #cdnecon #ONbudget2019 https://t.co/S2gPa9IMuY

— Glen Hodgson (@HodgsonGlen) April 12, 2019

Failing to address poverty 

The word "poverty" wasn't mentioned once during Finance Minister Vic Fedeli's budget announcement on Thursday, as many have taken to pointing out on Twitter. 

Roughly $1 billion worth of cuts to social services are also planned over the next three years, leading critics to raise the alarm on behalf of vulnerable, low-income residents.

"Social assistance recipients have nothing left to give after rates were cut by 1.5% last year," reads a statement from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. "Low and moderate income Ontarians who hoped for some meaningful measures in this budget to make life more affordable will be deeply disappointed."

I was perusing the Ontario's #Budget2019, and I realized that the word 'poverty' was absent while the 'alcohol' appeared 35 times. I decided to compare w/ previous budgets in the last decade. Since 2014, declining references to 'poverty', while 'alcohol' has never been so popular pic.twitter.com/sqSbmEQsBY

— Aline Coutinho (@AlineSociology) April 12, 2019

Cuts to Ontario's Ministry of Labour

More than $306 million will be pulled this year from the ministry responsible for enforcing employment standards across the province.

The PC government proposes that funding shortfalls will be alleviated through the use of "automated digital tools to help employers educate themselves to be self-reliant on understanding their obligations under the Employment Standards Act."

In other words, employers will be able to regulate themselves and deal with most labour matters internally while the province focuses its attention on "high-risk, high-impact investigations and claims resolution."

This is shameful. The Ministry of Labour cannot sustain these kinds of cuts without risking the lives of workers in Ontario. Health and Safety matters. Workers matter. #osstf #ONpoli https://t.co/ZXCTmn84y7

— Martha Hradowy (@marthahradowy) April 12, 2019

Making alcohol easier to access but addiction treatments harder

The government has pledged $174 million for mental health and addictions care in 2019, but some in the field say this amount isn't nearly enough to meet demand. Health care spending in general is forecast in the budget to go up by less than the rate of inflation, which critics say amounts to a net reduction in funds.

"There are long wait lists across the province for child and youth mental health which is placing a strain on mental health service providers, hospitals, and the families turning to them for care," said Children's Mental Health Ontario CEO Kim Moran in a release on Thursday. "We can't continue with the status quo."

The Ontario budget mentions "overdose" zero times. "Alcohol"? Thirty-five times. Over 3000 Ontarians have died of overdose in less than three years. Where is the outrage? #opssavelives #ONBudget #Budget2019 #ontariobudget #wegrievethousands #FordCutsHurt

— Street Health OPS (@StreetHealthOPS) April 11, 2019