A report Wednesday from Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office (FAO) points out troubling weaknesses in the province’s economy. The report acknowledges strong real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of the year, but the FAO identifies significant areas in which the Ontario economy is in decline.

That’s certainly a contrast to Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s upbeat message earlier this week. The minister said the province’s first quarter financial results show that the government can spend aggressively to boost economic growth, keep taxes down, meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population and do it all while “tracking a clear path” back to a balanced budget.