TORONTO In a sign of just how dramatically the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, Premier Doug Ford s government is expected to post a record-shattering $38.5-billion deficit in its budget Thursday.

Former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne left behind a $7.4-billion deficit, which Ford had vowed to eliminate.

The Progressive Conservative premier rode to power in 2018 on his promise to cut Wynnes reckless and wasteful spending. He once compared Liberals to drunken sailors and then immediately offered an apology to sailors: at least they spend their own money.

But 2020 has been full of surprises. Nearly 80,000 Ontarians have been infected with COVID-19 and almost 3,200 have died from the disease. The pandemic has also forced the government to spend billions more than expected on health care and to support businesses hit hard by lockdowns, while collecting less in taxes.