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October 29, 2024

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2024-Oct-29 vol. A (PDF)

L174A - Tue 29 Oct 2024 / Mar 29 oct 2024

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 29 October 2024 Mardi 29 octobre 2024

Orders of the Day

Affordable Energy Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur l’énergie abordable

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

Members’ Statements

Riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills

Addiction services

Algoma University Thunderbirds soccer teams

Garba

Choices Association Inc.

Visit to West Flanders

Small businesses

Health care funding

Member’s farewell

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Affordable housing

Hospital parking fees

Victim services

Automotive industry

Mental health services

Taxation

Cycling infrastructure

Health care

Public safety

Northern health services

Tenant protection

Taxation

Labour dispute

Skilled trades

Visitors

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Introduction of Bills

Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le Mois du patrimoine ukrainien

MS Remedies Inc. Act, 2024

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Women’s History Month

Motions

Committee membership

Correction of record

Petitions

Manufacturing sector

Education

Electric vehicles

Landfill

Electric vehicles

Addiction services

Economic development

Health care funding

Tuition

Manufacturing sector

Retirement homes

Orders of the Day

Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à renforcer la cybersécurité et la confiance dans le secteur public

Safer Roads and Communities Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 pour prévoir des routes et des collectivités plus sûres

Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le désengorgement du réseau routier et le gain de temps

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. Let us pray.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Affordable Energy Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur l’énergie abordable

Mr. Lecce moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 214,

An Act to amend various energy statutes respecting long term energy planning, changes to the Distribution System Code and the Transmission System Code and electric vehicle charging / Projet de loi 214, Loi modifiant diverses lois sur l’énergie en ce qui a trait à la planification énergétique à long terme, aux modifications touchant les codes appelés Distribution System Code et Transmission System Code et à la recharge des véhicules électriques.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister care to lead off the debate.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Good morning. I’m sharing my time with the Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries and the good member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke.

It’s an honour to be joining you today as we start second reading of the Affordable Energy Act, which is an instrumental legislative vehicle to enable a vision—a long-term integrated energy vision for the province where energy is affordable and abundant, and it is always reliable for our economy and for our people.

I want to say it has been an honour over the past 100-plus days working with the member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, working with the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore and the dynamic Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries. We, as a team, have, over the past many months, worked together to reimagine integrated planning, to reimagine an affordable energy future and to put in place the steps and put in motion the pathway to a clean, affordable future for our families and our children.

Ontario’s energy policy will fundamentally determine the future of our economy. It is that consequential when it comes to getting this right today and thinking through a generational lens as we endeavour to build out our transmission, our generation and our storage infrastructure which will be the foundation for the long-term prosperity of our country.

We take a moment to reflect that this province is once again a province of builders. We’re making the record investments, we’re building the record infrastructure, we’re putting our money where our mouth is on subways and schools and hospitals and so much more when it comes to building for the future. We are seeing growth in our biggest cities and our smallest towns, and with that growth also comes challenges, especially when it come to growing our energy demand. In fact, just two weeks ago, our team stood with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator and they told us, point blank, that power is increasing at an unprecedented rate.

To support our growing economy, to sustain the quality of life we deserve as Canadians, we will need at least 75% more electricity by 2050. That is the equivalent to adding four and a half cities of Toronto to the grid by year 2050, in the next 25 years. It is an overwhelming public policy challenge, but we have a plan and we are so uniquely advantaged in this province because we’ve been thinking about tomorrow.

Just the last year, Speaker, to contextualize the challenge, the amount of energy we’re going to need to power EV businesses has now doubled. It will be the equivalent of 2.2 million homes of energy by 2050. The power needed for data centres by 2050 is six times higher than just last year’s forecast by the IESO. Industrial demand is set to increase by over half in just the next five years.

There is also the demand for new resources like pump storage and batteries and hydrogen, as well as existing fuels like gasoline and natural gas that currently play a critical role to powering our vehicles, heating our homes, attracting investment and supporting our agricultural sectors, life sciences and automotive industry.

When you look back just six years ago, when the policies of a previous government had us going in a very wrong direction, instead of making decisions based on affordability—the singular driver of our government’s decisions—the Liberals of the day opted for a rigid adherence to ideology that resulted in electricity prices increasing by $1,000 a year. That cannot be a metric that any responsible government would want to emulate. The province was paying 10 times the going rate for power.

A clear failure—a failure of government that left our ratepayers—and let’s not allow this to be abstract—left single-income pensioners in energy poverty, families in energy poverty, businesses fleeing, jobs contracting. Our economy declined. This is not a path to prosperity in our province.

Clearly, we cannot go back. That formed the basis of our commitment as a government, as a people, that we would fix the hydro mess, and the first step was to get electricity bills under control. We knew right away that it was not fair for ratepayers, whether it be our businesses or our families, to shoulder the burden of these astronomical energy costs. That’s why we immediately took action to stabilize hydro rates and provide real relief where it matters, and the plan has worked. Families felt the difference on their bills; investments started to flow again.

Part of our vision too was ensuring energy security for the immediate term, for the coming decade before us. That’s why we launched the largest battery procurement in our country’s history. It’s the third-largest battery fleet on the continent. We are leading under our government, and the contrast could not be more clear. When the former Liberals had the opportunity to invest in battery storage they yielded precisely zero megawatts of battery storage capability. We’re putting ourselves on the map as a leader in the country and a top leader on the continent when it comes to storing that renewable power for good.

The fact is that Ontario, unlike jurisdictions around us north and south, east and west—we have enough power for our growth for the medium term. But that work alone is not going to drive our long-term success. Yes, it is important we have those battery storage capabilities, but we need to have a vision. We need to acknowledge a problem. We need baseload solutions—baseload. We need to have an honest, intellectual debate about the baseload solutions for our future.

Mr. Ted Hsu: I’d like to see that.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I think, Madam Speaker, what will bring members of the Liberal Party to chuckle in the House today, is their cognizance—self-aware, if insecure—about their record. A record that led to a $1,000 increase a year is nothing to be proud of today.

I know that we will unapologetically pursue a path of a pro-growth, pro-job agenda that centres our public policy on affordable energy. That’s the driver of our energy expansion plan, using an all-of-the-above approach to leverage the energy we need for our future. But we’re not going to go back to those costly Liberal energy experiments that drove up bills under the Liberals, that led to some of the highest energy rates on the continent. We cannot allow that type of politics to return to this province, imposing great hardship on the everyday working people of our province.

We sought a mandate in 2018 from the people of Ontario on this issue and they demanded government put affordability first. I’m proud that our Premier, under his leadership, has chosen jobs, growth and the long-term prosperity of our province—putting them first, those imperatives first.

That’s why, last week, I was honoured to be joined by the associate minister and our parliamentary team where we announced Ontario’s affordable energy future. It provides a full accounting of the challenges facing our province as we partner with workers, with energy companies and builders and private sector union partners, regulators and communities to seize the moment before us—to seize the opportunities before us as we build for tomorrow. It lays out our priorities, but, first and foremost, it is centred on the needs of families as we remain relentlessly focused on keeping energy costs down.

We’re delivering on that by leaning in on the expansion of non-emitting nuclear power, and we’re delivering by keeping the dream of home ownership alive for our young people and for new Canadians by significantly cutting the cost for new homes to connect to the grid.

We are delivering today with significant legislative changes through the Affordable Energy Act—changes that will position the province for our growth with a coordinated, integrated plan that builds on the baseload power and resources like nuclear energy; changes that will make it more cost effective to connect new homes and will help reduce overall energy use to save money too; changes that support the adoption of electric vehicles.

Let’s just take a moment to reflect on the need for energy planning. It’s clear the previous government’s siloed approach was not working. It wasn’t delivering the best value for our ratepayers, because it’s no longer enough for the IESO, the Independent Electricity System Operator, to plan for the electricity system, and the OEB and Enbridge to look at natural gas and other private companies to plan for fuels in isolation. We have multiple ships passing in the night.

We need a strong, overarching focus on common goals. We need a long-term vision to deliver energy security and affordability for our people. It’s why we proposed updates to reform the legislative planning framework under the Electricity Act to establish an integrated energy planning process, and that starts with a repeal of the previous government’s long-term energy plan framework, replacing it with the requirement to produce an integrated energy resource plan recognizing the interconnectedness between electricity, natural gas and other fuels.

It includes the establishment of a predictable five-year planning cycle, it streamlines the process for implementing an integrated energy resource plan through modifications to the directive-making powers and, perhaps, more importantly, by planning for all of our sources of energy, ensuring all energy systems support these key goals. As with building housing or attracting investment, we are on a path to achieving its energy vision.

I want to point out that the proposed legislative amendments also address recommendations made by the independent Electrification and Energy Transition Panel in their report released in January. Our government established this panel in 2022 to provide advice on how we can leverage the highest-value opportunities for the energy sector to help Ontario’s economy prepare for growing energy demand and widespread electrification and to articulate what changes are needed for better energy planning, a more reliable energy supply and more effective governance and decision-making.

The panel’s report was clear: Ontario needs an integrated plan to manage the anticipated increase in energy demand, a long-term vision for our children and our grandchildren. I’m proud that the Affordable Energy Act delivers on this vision.

With the proposed legislation before this House, we are addressing the recommendation to advance an integrated planning process that considers a variety of resources and will ultimately provide the long-term confidence to our families and our businesses and our farmers to align with Ontario’s economic development and housing priorities.

But our changes to energy planning don’t stop there, because we go much further than that. For the first time in the province’s history, we explicitly prioritize zero-emission nuclear generation as part of our expansion for the future. We are proud to be investing and leaning into non-emitting sources for energy expansion.

I hope members opposite will agree with the premise that nuclear energy is fundamentally the future. If they seek to urge government to decarbonize our economy then we need baseload solutions—yes, more hydroelectric, but nuclear too will play a role. I know some members of parties opposite will stand with the nuclear sector. I hope we all can support the 65,000 families that do amazing work—safe, reliable, enduring power that is affordable for our families. We’re taking an all-of-the-above approach. We know that we will not meet our goals, we will not be able to sustain our economic success, without nuclear energy.

I will say this should not be a matter of controversy in this House. I want to believe that we can come together on this premise that nuclear energy is an effective, obvious affordable, reliable option for the people of Ontario to keep building on our baseload energy. But, Madam Speaker, you will know that the former Liberal government was happy to plan for the permanent closure of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. They wanted to say goodbye to 4,500 jobs associated with it. Instead, our government stood up for our private sector workers, stood with the workers at that plant to support safe, continued operations of their work as we complete the refurbishment of station B’s units.

It was the New Democratic member from Toronto–Danforth, the honourable critic, who called nuclear “harmful to human health and the environment.” I don’t think that’s a position held by every New Democrat in this House, but it’s our government that knows that nuclear energy was the only reason our province was able to transition off coal and that nuclear reduces emissions to the tune of 18 million vehicles off our roads every single year. It was the leader of the Green Party, who says it’s too expensive.

Madam Speaker, don’t listen to me or anyone in this House. Seek the advice of the Ontario Energy Board, the sector’s independent regulator that says it’s the second-lowest cost resource on our system today behind water power. If we’re going to meet the challenges ahead of us, including rising energy demand, we will need nuclear.

This bill codifies, in the clearest terms, this government’s commitment to the nuclear sector, to our nuclear energy workers and to our clean energy future. I call, therefore, on all parties to fundamentally work with the government to support our workforce, support our nuclear sector and stand with us through the Affordable Energy Act—a vote for a future powered by safe, affordable, reliable power. We want members opposite to do the right thing, to accept the premise that nuclear energy is the future. It is the solution to the challenges facing industrialized economies today.

I think about this through a generational lens because, certainly for the associate minister and I, we are generational public servants in government. We came here to think about the next generation. Just like our great-grandparents built the first hydroelectric dams at the turn of the century. I think of Sir Adam Beck. I also think of our grandparents that built our first nuclear stations in the 1960s. Of course, we remember Premier Robarts’s leadership and vision.

Now, it will be our generation and our government that will build for our children and for our future. This legislation will set the stage for the path to an affordable energy future for our kids. This legislation also addresses another major challenge—making sure that we get power to new homes and to new businesses. Our government made a commitment to make it easier and more affordable for every project to connect to the grid. Be it a housing project, a new business park, a new manufacturing plant, we want them to connect to the grid at a more affordable rate.

To help define the problem that we have solved, in part through the legislation we have proposed to this House, under the current rules the process is slow. It is costly. It increased the cost for homebuyers and for businesses. Customers including large industrial customers, housing, local utilities—they have all stated that the framework today for electricity system connection infrastructure can significantly delay project timelines and, in some cases, inhibit investment to the province altogether.

It’s why the Affordable Energy Act amends the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, to enable future regulations that would facilitate more timely, cost-effective electricity system connections for housing and large-scale customers in high-growth areas.

In other words, we want to reduce the upfront capital cost associated with the last-mile connections, the final step that links new homes and business to Ontario’s clean electricity grid. Let me just take a moment to thank the associate minister for leading the way on helping to resolve a long-standing challenge on housing affordability by helping to fix the last-mile challenge by producing affordable solutions for Ontario families, giving hope to our kids that, through hard work, they can own a home. We are grateful to the associate minister for his very meaningful leadership in this space.

Under the current system, as you know, Madam Speaker, electricity transmitters and electricity distributors are acquired to align all or a large portion of the cost for expansion of the electricity system and connection facilities to the first customers who wish to connect—the first movers’ disadvantage, some may say. That includes the cost of any excess capacity that may eventually be used by another customer. The first movers may be reimbursed only if customers use the excess capacity within the connection horizon, but are not reimbursed by customers who materialize after that period.

As a result, quite obviously to anyone hearing me define this problem, first-mover customers bear a disproportionate cost of responsibility and the financial risk associated.

I want to tell you that the member from Leeds–Grenville has been so clear for years that we need to take action in this area, and I am grateful to him for advocating for affordable homes, for an obvious solution to a long-standing challenge, an intergenerational challenge that we can fix together. I’m proud that we’re working and seeking the good wisdom of members who have been in the trenches, who understand the economy and understand housing affordability.

With the new regulation-making authority that’s proposed in this act, Madam Speaker, you will see we are allowing the Ontario Energy Board to spread those costs over all customers in those high-growth areas—those who connect to the line, not just the first. Let me give you an example: Under the old system, a residential development of 200 homes would pay the full cost of building the new infrastructure needed to connect to the grid. Say the upgrades cost $10 million in this example; this means that every home will now have to pay $20,000 per unit to absorb those costs, hiking the cost further on our kids who just simply want to own a home here in the province.

Under our plan, under this example—a real example and a case that is very relevant to so many families, because we know that this project would only have to pay for what they will use—they’ll only pay for what they use, their load, and the result under this scenario is that instead of a $20,000 per-unit cost, the cost would be about $4,000, saving the family $16,000 in what would be literally a stealth tax. I think this is a material way we can make a difference.

We’re not going to solve it alone in energy, but we are part of a broader enterprise of working across government to make housing affordable for our kids. The benefits will be substantial. It will support rapid growth in housing, particularly in support of Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan.

Madam Speaker, this is really what thinking and planning and building for tomorrow looks like. It’s about building the homes and the transit and the subway, and Canada’s largest energy expansion in our history to create a clean, affordable, reliable grid for the next generation.

The theme of thinking for the future continues with the third set of what’s proposed in the Affordable Energy Act, to reduce the regulatory barriers for owners and operators of public electric vehicle charging stations, all in service of getting more chargers built, of reducing range anxiety for EV drivers. This bill, very fundamentally, is a common-sense collection of reforms that are necessary to enable electrification, enable affordability and enable large-scale generation using nuclear as our future, if you distill the purpose of the bill. Electrification is fundamental.

I want to take a moment as I pause on EV charging, Madam Speaker, because I’m a student of history, like we all are in this House. I remember just a decade ago when the intelligentsia, the elites—the Liberals and New Democrats, notably, actually said to the government of the day a decade ago that we should be turning away from manufacturing. There are some brilliant quotes from members opposite saying we should turn away from advanced manufacturing, literally calling it dead industries of the past, saying we need a service economy to drive our future.

Thank God that the Premier and this government ignored in totality the advice of the members opposite, because we have instilled the reindustrialization of our province in manufacturing. We have repatriated the very jobs that fled because of bad economic policy that deterred investment and undermined job creation in the province. We have brought back $43 billion of EV investments alone, not in spite of but because of our affordable, clean, reliable grid, and because we created the economic conditions through regulatory relief and tax relief to incent investment to the province. I’m proud of that reality.

It’s not a laughing matter that 300,000 people lost their jobs. It’s not a laughing matter that the members of the New Democrats enable this type of ideological dogma that led to the province buying energy at 10 times the market rate. What is the virtue—beyond, perhaps, members of the Liberal Party and their co-conspirators feeling good about themselves—when a family and a senior got their energy bill and they paid 300% higher than where they started, where energy bills rose $1,000? Tell us the virtue of that policy and why you seek to replicate it again. No responsible government will pursue that path.

We should not have turned our back on the Pickering nuclear workers. We should not have turned our back on the tens of thousands of manufacturing workers. There is a reason, Madam Speaker, that private sector unions in the energy space have supported our Affordable Energy Act plan. Let them guide or inform this debate. The people on the front lines building the energy support the plan.

Where do you stand? Do you stand with the workers? Do you stand with our economy? Do you stand with our industries that are calling on government to invest in a plan for tomorrow that is reliable at its core and affordable?

The EV expansion is something we’re proud of. I’m proud that the Minister of Economic Development and Trade has done amazing work in this space and we’ve unprecedented investment. But we want to play a role in supporting this expansion. For example, we’ve seen historic investments in Stellantis in Windsor; Volkswagen in St. Thomas; Honda in Alliston, Goodyear in Napanee. More families are working in these sectors because of our investments. And because of the switch to electric vehicles, more than one million EVs are expected on the roads by year 2030, putting more pressure on the grid, as I mentioned earlier.

To accommodate this transition, the government must ensure electricity remains, yes, reliable and affordable and that Ontarians can find public chargers where and when they need them. We know that investing in public charging infrastructure is important to support Ontario’s growing end-to-end EV supply chain to ensure EV drivers can confidently move. That’s why our government is encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles in the province by providing a regulatory environment that supports and enables further development of EV charging.

The changes would provide certainty that public EV charging station owners and operators would not need to get the same licence as currently required from the Ontario Energy Board like a local utility like Toronto Hydro or Hydro One. Clearly, that’s not what this was intended to be about.

Finally, we are making legislative changes that will enable a significant expansion of energy-efficiency programs because, yes, we’re going to need to generate a lot more energy—75% more energy—but we also support conservation. We recognize it’s a cheaper option to pursue conservation than generation, but we’re going to need both, based on the massive energy demand before us. So we’re taking an all-of-the-above approach.

Part of this bill recognizes that, as Ontarians choose to electrify their homes and their businesses, there is significant opportunity for them to install more energy-efficient appliances, smarter controls and conduct those retrofits that will help them save time money and reduce their demand on the grid. After all, the cheapest electricity generation to build is the generation you don’t have to build at all. We get that. We are literally doing all of the above.

This bill enables that type of mass expansion of conservation. We have a grand vision for that plan. In September, we increased funding for the energy-efficiency programs by $342 million. It brings the total funding to $1 billion over the current three-year framework. Over the past few years, we’ve launched new options, be it the ISO’s Peak Perks program, which has been an incredibly effective program to reduce electricity use at peak periods. It’s proved to be an incredible success on the continent.

I’m not exaggerating: In just over a year, the program enrolled over 150,000 families, making it the fastest-growing virtual power plant on the continent, able to reduce peak demand up to 150 megawatts—the equivalent of taking Barrie off the grid for the summer. It’s a major investment and we’re proud of those types of actions.

But we recognize too, as Progressive Conservatives, we can do more to make life more affordable, to reduce grid demand. We want to play a role in reducing costs, reducing power. So, under the current legislation, you’ll notice that the ISO is, right now, limited in the programs they can deliver. Specifically, they can only administer energy-efficiency programs that result in electricity savings. We want to expand the ISO authority to establish electricity energy-efficiency programs that go will beyond the existing programs. They’re just constrained to roughly 30% of the population.

All of our constituents could play a role. All of us could reduce our footprint. All of us should have the right to save money. I believe through these reforms we can help everyone; for example, support a homeowner’s transition from an oil or propane furnace to electric heat pump to heat their home. This is a pragmatic policy reform we think is important. We want to ensure all customers have the option to reduce overall energy use and subsequently reduce the cost for high-consumption activities.

The government intends to build on this strong foundation and unveil new energy-efficiency programs. We want to help every family and business and municipality play a role in energy conservation. I will say, these proposed legislative changes, along with our recently announced vision for an affordable energy future and the public feedback on that vision, will inform and facilitate our plan to release the first integrated energy resource plan in the early part of 2025.

We intend to deliver a plan with certainty to the economy and to our families that will clearly address energy demand that is expected to rise by 75%—a sobering figure—in this province just over the next 25 years to meet the needs of our population, forecasted to increase by two million people over the coming decade. It will provide clarity and certainty for our investors, for our sector participants, for our customers and for our families as we drive economic growth in our province.

It will support an energy system that prioritizes customer choice, participation and affordability in the energy transition and build support for the government’s vision and future policy decisions through that engagement—a plan that incorporates Indigenous leadership and participation as well as economic development opportunities in the energy sector.

This is plan that builds on ambitious work under way. The largest expansion of nuclear energy on the continent is happening right here in Ontario. A massive expansion of our transmission network to support growing manufacturing and housing is happening right here in Ontario.

New energy-efficiency programs helping families reduce their cost are happening as we speak in this province, with more to come in the early new year. We launched over the summer, with the Minister of Agriculture, the largest energy procurement of its kind, a competitive energy procurement in our province and country as we deliver 5,000 megawatts of reliable power, where renewables will play a fundamental role in that competitive procurement—I emphasize competitive because price will dictate the decision, not an ideological adherence.

That will be the North Star for the government: lowest-cost options, affordable options so we keep the rates down for our families and our seniors. We’re going to use this integrated plan to embrace the opportunities on the horizon.

My final comment is just to reimagine how we produce power and how we export power, too. This vision—Ontario was already a net exporter of clean energy into the US market. That has historically been done at a loss. We really want to change the game in this respect. We’re not going to be generating power to sell it at a discount. In fact, our plan will end the nonsensical sale of power at a loss into the US. We are not a charity for our American friends and competitors. We have a radically different approach to how we can monetize what is increasingly becoming the most valuable resource on earth.

We want to maximize value for Ontario taxpayers so we can build the social infrastructure we need for our future, our schools and hospitals. That is really important, and we need revenue to do it. There’s only one party in this House that has never raised a tax since coming to office—we never will—and that’s the Progressive Conservative government under Premier Ford. I mention that because the alternative options, the obvious options for members of the Liberal Party inevitably will be raising their taxes, as they did every year under their reign. That is not a path forward.

That’s not a way to create affordability. That’s not a way to create a growth society. It’s not a way to instill hope in our kids. We want young people to know if they work hard, they can achieve in the country, and we want them to recognize that through their hard work and through their ingenuity and their commitment to the country, they can help build this up for another 150 years of reliable, clean, affordable power.

We’re not going to do this in a vacuum. We’re not going to waste any time. We’re bringing urgency to the file and a commitment to work with our jurisdictions around us to deliver our clean energy advantage to help reduce continental emissions, leveraging non-emitting nuclear power as our future.

This plan enables a prosperous future, an Affordable Energy Act than will give our kids hope to achieve in Canada. So I hope all members of this House will put affordability first and vote for our government’s Affordable Energy Act.

Thank you so much, Madam Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I recognize the Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries.

Hon. Sam Oosterhoff: I want to thank the Minister of Energy and Electrification for his contribution this morning to debate on this important piece of legislation, a piece of legislation that I really believe does define the differences, both philosophically and from a responsiveness to the people of Ontario, between the government members in this chamber and those who sit in the opposition benches.

I want to begin by also acknowledging—I believe my wife Keri, my son Sullivan and my daughter Florence are watching right now. I want to give them a good morning shout-out. I haven’t seen them for a couple of days, so I want to thank them for tuning in now. I also want to acknowledge my team at the ministry for the work that they did in ensuring that this legislation came forward, working with so many stakeholders across this province and meeting with the people of this province in ensuring that today’s legislation became a reality.

At this time of the year, I often wax a bit nostalgic, if you will. It was at this time of the year, in 2016, that I was first elected. It was November 17, 2016, that I was sent by the good people of Niagara West–Glanbrook into this chamber. At this time of the year, eight years ago, I was pounding the pavement, as all of us have done during our elections or by-elections. I was door-knocking and I remember a particular interaction that sticks in my mind all these years later when it comes to the reason why I was elected and the reason why today’s focus on energy affordability is so important for the people of Ontario.

I was door-knocking in a little town called Beamsville in my riding on a street called Hixon Street. It’s a small street; it’s not that long. It has a number of post-World War II houses, the kind that veterans go to. I remember door-knocking on an older lady’s home by the name of Anne. Anne and her husband had moved here from the Netherlands after the Second World War. They had moved into this home; it was newly constructed at the time. I remember she welcomed me into her home because she said she had a newspaper clipping that she wanted to show to me.

Again, it was early November at that time, and I remember, when she welcomed me in, it was freezing. It was a small home; it was one of those homes that I’m sure we all have in our communities. I remember seeing the baseboard heating on the side. It can’t have been more than maybe 10 degrees in that home as I stood there and waited for Anne, and we had a brief conversation about the newspaper clipping.

I remember asking Anne, “Can I ask you how much is your energy bill?” At this time, Anne was in her seventies. She was a pensioner and her husband had passed away a few years earlier. Her energy bill was in the hundreds of dollars. That’s why it was so cold in that particular home—it was because of the baseboard heat that she had. It was not a well-insulated home. It was a home that had, obviously, over the years, been very good to their family but also had come with an incredible cost in terms of the skyrocketing electricity rates that we saw under the previous Liberal government.

She spoke with me about how that increase in hydro rates that we heard about from the Minister of Energy and Electrification—a 300% increase in cost for her family—truly did mean, in some cases, the difference between being able to go and buy some of the nutritious groceries that, of course, are important for health and for wellness, or being able to heat her home at a reasonable level.

That’s why I believe today’s legislation, the Affordable Energy Act, is such an important testimony to the priorities of our government in comparison with the priorities of the previous Liberal government. We saw ideological underpinnings to every single action that that government brought forward. It wasn’t focused on the reality of people like Anne on Hixon Street in Beamsville, who had to choose between heating and eating. It really did come down to the belief and the ideology of the Green Energy Act that paid far above-market rates and passed those costs on along to everybody.

In contrast with that, the Affordable Energy Act is an energy act that brings forward an integrated energy vision that says every single tool in the energy tool box here in Ontario needs to be put towards energy affordability as a priority for the Premier, for the province and for the people of this province.

I’m going to speak a little bit today, Speaker, about why that’s so important, about what we’ve been able to accomplish by ensuring that, when we came to office, we renegotiated thousands of bad contracts, cancelled the very, very worst of those contracts and, as a result, have been able to stabilize electricity rates and energy rates at below-inflation cost for the people of the province.

The changes outlined in this legislation today are essential for Ontario’s economic expansion and for sustaining our province’s clean, reliable and affordable energy system. It’s an advantage that we have here in Ontario which has been carefully built over the past six years. Ontario currently has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with about 90% of 2023’s electricity coming from non-emitting sources like nuclear and hydro.

This system, supported by our highly skilled workforce, a competitive business environment and rich natural resources gives Ontario what we proudly call our clean energy advantage. It’s a cornerstone in attracting manufacturing jobs and industry back to Ontario, for good jobs with opportunities for our families and communities.

We’re committed to meeting the growing need of our communities for clean, reliable and affordable power with not just the short-term plans that we’ve seen in the past, but with a proactive, long-term sustainable energy plan that will empower Ontario for generations. Our vision is to make sure that Ontario’s families and businesses have a reliable, affordable and clean energy foundation that will last for generations to come. To meet the demand that is rising, we are acting with foresight and purpose.

Today’s legislation is about ensuring that Ontario continues to provide the power to fuel this growth. It is about building a long-term integrated plan that will power our industries now and for many, many years to come. It supports this goal with four key objectives:

(1) The establishment of an integrated energy resource planning approach that considers various sources of energy needed to support a growing economy;

(2) Ensuring a more timely and cost-effective electricity system connection for housing developers and large industrial consumers;

(3) Support for the growth of electric vehicle charging stations by exempting electric vehicle charging companies from Ontario Energy Board red tape; and

(4) Finally, the enabling of the IESO to administer additional energy-efficiency programs to help customers, like Anne, adapt to electricity in a way that reduces overall emissions as well as energy use and costs.

These steps are part of our government’s plan to build a more dynamic and resilient energy system. It reflects our unwavering commitment to make Ontario the best place to live, work and invest. Together, we are working to build a stronger, cleaner and more affordable energy vision for every person in this province.

Our sharp increase in rapid economic growth in demand is because of the growth that we have seen over the last years. According to the IESO, Ontario is going to need 75% more power here in this province over the next 25 years, which is the equivalent of adding four-and-a-half cities the size of Toronto to the grid.

We’re seeing demand from new investments, like those from Stellantis and Volkswagen; we’re seeing green steel production at Algoma and Dofasco, which will soon equal the annual electricity use of Ottawa. Meeting the demand is not just about keeping the lights on, it’s also a generational challenge to ensure that we are proactively supporting industry, securing sustainable growth and ensuring that Ontario remains the best place to live, work and invest.

We will always choose jobs, growth and economic prosperity over taxes as a responsibility to our families and youth. As Minister Lecce spoke about, this government under this Premier has never raised, and will never raise, a single tax on the hard-working people of this province. We will always ensure that Ontario remains a place where youth can pursue good jobs, innovate and realize their dreams of home ownership. It’s why we have been relentless in creating the right environment for growth, attracting world-class investments and generating good-paying jobs across the province.

We’ve already made significant investments to ensure that energy is more affordable for job creators. We’ve reduced the cost of doing business by $8 billion, bringing in programs like the comprehensive electricity plan, the industrial conservation initiative and the Ontario Electricity Rebate, which have helped to create a climate that allows families to thrive and industries to grow.

We’ve seen record investments in this province over the past six years and much of this growth is in manufacturing. The previous government drove out 300,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, with their short-sighted, costly energy and economic experiments.

But under Premier Ford’s leadership, Ontario has added over 800,000 new jobs, securing billions in investment across industries like EV manufacturing, greenhouses, data centres and mining, to name just a few—industries that rely on clean, reliable and affordable energy to grow: people like the steel producers, who I met with last week; the Association of Major Power Consumers of Ontario, who I met with this morning; and agricultural sectors from every corner of this province such as the egg farmers, who I had a chance to speak with this morning as well.

Minister Fedeli, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, has been hard at work attracting international and local investment. We know that Ontario has become a beacon for international investment, but they always ask two questions:

(1) Do you have the land?

(2) Do you have the power? Our answer to that question is yes. We’ve stepped up and are continuing to respond with yes to ensure that these questions are answered in a way that continues to attract investment.

Ontario’s energy advantage makes it a bit easier for businesses of all sizes to expand. It’s a key deciding factor for companies to look to bring in their next major investment, and that’s why Ontario is the only jurisdiction in North America with all six of the largest auto manufacturers. Over the past six years, we’ve secured billions of dollars of investment. Honda alone has committed $15 billion to establish Canada’s first comprehensive EV supply chain, including a $1.6-billion plant in the Niagara region, fantastic news for our local economy.

Bloomberg this year named Canada as the world leader in lithium-ion battery supply chains. This is a historic milestone. Our proximity to the US and Mexican markets amplifies this advantage, positioning Ontario as a North American hub for clean energy manufacturing and sustainable technologies.

We’ve also become a leader in electrification in hard-to-abate industries. We have seen energy-intensive industries across this province, from Sarnia—where I had the opportunity to visit with the member for Sarnia–Lambton—to the north, where I had the opportunity to visit with Minister Pirie, the Minister of Mines, and the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; and in Thunder Bay, where Minister Kevin Holland and our team had the opportunity to meet with the lumber sector. We are seeing these industries step forward and continue to invest in our province because of the investments we are making to create an opportunity for these companies.

Our commitment to clean energy includes significant investments in things like small modular reactors, and also an opportunity to build out our hydrogen economy. We are investing in unleashing the power of hydrogen as a clean energy storage and power source to cement Ontario’s leadership on the world stage as a clean energy superpower.

We know that hydrogen capacity is still under way to be built here in Ontario. The IESO expects that the sector will generate 15,000 megawatts of hydrogen capacity by 2050. By 2050, according to economic analysis from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis, the hydrogen economy could create over 100,000 jobs across the province while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 megatons per year. That’s equivalent to removing a quarter of Ontario’s 2005 emissions or removing approximately 15 million cars off the road.

The growth potential in this sector is truly impressive. Through initiatives like the Hydrogen Innovation Fund, we are backing our innovators and job creators in this space, stimulating our province’s leadership in this growing sector of the economy.

Speaker, we have spoken about the need for more power, and the reason we need more power is because our demand isn’t just growing; it’s growing exponentially. The amount of power we need for EV businesses by 2050 has just doubled in one year. The power we need for data centres by 2050 is six times higher than we forecast just last year. That’s why the actions we are taking in today’s legislation are setting Ontario up to meet this generational challenge.

Our energy policy is about driving economic development, attracting investment and ensuring that Ontario remains the best place to live, work and do business. We are backing innovation over taxes—technology that will create thousands of well-paying jobs across industries. One of the ways we are doing this is by moving past the siloed and dated approach to energy planning that kept electricity and different energy systems, such as natural gas and other fuels, separate. It was a fragmented approach, and it led to inefficiencies, missed opportunities and, frankly, a lack of cohesion in meeting rising energy needs.

With growing demand across the province, we can’t afford to continue operating in a fragmented system.

That’s why this legislation introduces a coordinated planning process which incorporates all sectors and energy fuel types. We know all sectors and energy fuel types will be needed to manage the increasing demands placed on the system in an expeditious manner. That’s why, if passed, the Affordable Energy Act will bring all energy sources together in harmony, like a well-tuned orchestra. This all-of-the-above approach allows us to make cost-effective strategic decisions which will support critical goals that we all share.

It will guide Ontario’s first integrated energy resource plan, a pivotal step towards building a resilient, reliable energy system prepared to meet our province’s growing demands.

I want to also speak about some of the changes that we announced last week with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In this legislation, we are addressing the growing need that we have seen to address last-mile concerns. There is so much interest from home builders and job creators in the electrification of home heating systems and transportation, and we’ve attracted massive investments in so many parts of our energy system. But the final piece of the puzzle is to make sure that the energy is actually connected to the people who need it: to our families, to our job creators.

That’s why this legislation, if passed, will reduce regulatory barriers to ensure the successful transition of Ontario’s electricity system through the energy transition. This will allow us to empower growth in Ontario by lowering the upfront capital costs associated with last-mile connections. This will make it easier to connect new homes and businesses to Ontario’s electricity grids.

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to visit many corners of this province and meet with local distribution companies. I want to thank Teresa Sarkesian and the Electricity Distributors Association for the work that they did to put together round tables, where we had conversations about how we can address that last-mile challenge. They all shared the same message: We need a faster, more nimble and more affordable form of grid connection for new industry and for massive housing developments.

When a new energy-intensive business chooses Ontario, often their first stop is to meet with the local distribution company to determine what local infrastructure is available to handle the added load. But in too many cases, capacity is maxed out and these businesses are shouldering the entire cost of upgrading that infrastructure themselves, even if they are not going to be using all of that capacity. These burdens delay progress. They stand in the way of high-paying jobs in crucial parts of our economy.

That’s why the amendment which is placed in this legislation will respond directly to that need by amending the Ontario Energy Board Act, enabling future regulations which will reduce the upfront capital cost for housing developers and large industrial job creators to connect to the grid. This will reduce the financial burden on first movers. This proposed amendment is yet another way our government is positioning Ontario as an evermore attractive location for industry and investment.

One of the areas that we want to really ensure we are driving forward is on energy efficiency. Unlike the previous government, which opted for rigid adherence to ideology, driving up costs for families and stifling investment, we are focused on practical, growth-oriented solutions. The Affordable Energy Act reflects that commitment. The failed Liberal Green Energy Act prioritized ideology over affordability. Under the previous government, we heard stories like those of Anne—of people and families struggling between paying hydro bills and paying for groceries.

That’s why affordability remains the key driver of our energy expansion plan, and that’s why we’re proposing to amend the Electricity Act to enable the administration of additional energy-efficiency programs aimed at supporting beneficial electrification. This will put more money in the pockets of people who will be able to access cost savings for driving conservation programs.

The current legislation only allows 30% of people in Ontario to access savings when they’re retrofitting their homes to provide for energy savings. This amendment will actually allow every single person in the province of Ontario to benefit from efficiency programs, putting money back into the pockets of hard-working people, and saving them money on their hydro bill while protecting our overall grid and reducing emissions. This will ensure that every single customer is given the option to reduce their energy use and lower the costs associated with everyday realities like heating and cooling.

It’s all part of a plan that is focused on empowering consumers and providing people with greater control over their bills. It’s part of our government’s commitment to putting the power back in the hands of the people and on having customer-focused energy planning.

I am coming up to time and I want to acknowledge the parliamentary assistant and his impressive work on the file.

In conclusion, the Affordable Energy Act represents a bold step forward for Ontario’s energy system. It’s legislation that reinforces our commitment to an affordable, reliable and clean energy future. It provides the tools we need to support the growing demand of Ontario’s families, businesses and industries.

To all my colleagues in this House, I ask you to support this legislation. Let us choose growth, innovation and affordability over ideology. Let us together create a future where Ontario leads in energy policy, job creation and growth. This act is an investment in Ontario’s future, not just for years but for generations to come. It’s a commitment to a future where Ontario stands as a beacon for opportunity and prosperity, building a legacy for generations to come.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I recognize the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Energy and Electrification.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the Minister of Energy and Electrification and also the Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries. It’s really a pleasure to get up to speak today on our Affordable Energy Act. Now, isn’t that a difference? Something that actually says, in the word of the act, “Affordable Energy Act.”

Some of you would remember: I’m one of the few people who was here when we were given, with the generosity—I say jokingly—of the Liberal Party, supported unanimously by the members of the NDP, the disastrous Green Energy Act. Did it say anything about affordability in that? Green Energy Act: It was all about ideology. It had nothing to do with whether or not the people of Ontario were going to be able to turn the lights on, keep them on and heat their homes.

I appreciate the story that the associate minister told about the elderly lady who really couldn’t afford to heat her home under the disastrous policies that we were given by the Liberal Party. That’s how we got here.

They were okay with the disastrous Green Energy Act that they knew—and they knew at the time, because they had this vision of Ontario that did not include the welfare of the people—it was about ideology, about switching our economy to a service-based economy. “Let’s drive 300,000 manufacturing jobs out of the province of Ontario because this will be the Liberal Ontario that we will be able to say is our great legacy.” Well, folks, we know how that backfired, because the people of Ontario saw hydro rates go up 300%.

I remember, as energy critic some 15 years ago—I was a critic for a long time and, boy, did I have much to be critical about—when people would be coming up to me in my riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, and having to make the decision: Do we heat or do we eat?

When we came into government, our first job was to stabilize this mess, and that’s exactly what we did. That wasn’t a simple matter. We had to stabilize this mess brought on by the Liberals so that we could actually then develop a plan that would not only bring back those manufacturing jobs, but make Ontario an energy powerhouse, ensuring that the standard of living in this province is something that would be the envy of everyone else across this great country. That’s where we are today.

We are now laying one of the main planks of what’s going to be the growth of this great province. We know we’re growing with people. We know that the province is growing in population—we’re almost 16 million people living in this province today. If you are going to be able to ensure they have the standard of living, that they can have a job, raise a family and buy a home, you have to have an economy that works for them. You can’t have an economy that works if you can’t provide that reliable, affordable power that we all need.

That is what we are doing here with the Affordable Energy Act. The IESO has made it clear: a 75% increase in the demand of electricity by 2050. That is 25 years away. In some worlds, that sounds like a lot, but in the way that government works, the way that countries grow and the way—how much has changed? I’ve been here—I’m in my 22nd year. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone. In 25 years, in the world where you’ve got to build that generation—it’s not that far down the road, so we can waste not another day.

That’s why with Minister Lecce, along with Premier Ford’s administration, we are moving ahead with this act. It is going to be a game-changer. It is transformational. It will change the way that people live here in Ontario, and will make productivity and the standard of living something that will be the envy of everyone else.

It’s not just about building, because in building, you’ve got to make sure that you can move that power. We’re going to have to deal with all of the issues with regard to transmission and distribution, because as cities grow and as people populate this province, we’re going to have to make sure we have that power to them. How are we going to make sure that they can afford to build those homes? Well, we’re adding another step: the last mile—I know the minister talked about that.

So that today, if you’re going to build a big development of homes, or under the previous administrations, that developer would have to pay for all of that cost of bringing that power to this new subdivision upfront, which would add about $40,000 to the cost of the average home in that subdivision, in that development. We’re going to make sure that we can take that and amortize it over 40 years so that that developer—now the cost on those homes is going to be about $4,000. That’s one tenth of the cost of what it would be otherwise.

I know that people on other side don’t see it the same way we do, but we are always looking for a way to move forward—not backwards into the times of the Liberal government that ran on ideology, not on making sure that people had a standard of living that we could all depend on. We’re going to ensure that we can power those jobs. I know the minister and the associate minister have talked and I know that my PA colleague MPP Cuzzetto is going to be talking about as well.

We’re bringing those jobs: $43 billion of investment in our EV auto sector. Those are real jobs that are going to not only power the next generation of vehicles, which is going to reduce emissions across this province—which, again, is in keeping with our commitment to make Ontario the greenest, cleanest province in all of Canada. Today, we’re already at 90%: 90% of our power is emission-free. We have a vision that looks forward to the future, not back. If you’re going to be better in the future, you better know how bad it was in the past. We saw how bad it was.

I’ll tell you, I was here for the Green Energy Act. Some people might remember George Smitherman, the Minister of Energy—yes, you remember him, of course. I remember Minister Smitherman coming over to me as the critic—I was on that side, he was on this side—and giving me a handwritten piece of paper and claiming that the Green Energy Act was going to add about a dollar per month to the hydro bills—a dollar per month to the hydro bills. We laughed about it. He said, “A cup of coffee.” Well, you can’t buy a cup of coffee for a dollar now except when McDonald’s puts them on sale.

A dollar a month for hydro bills, that was going to be the increase. Can you believe it? A dollar per month. We had a study done by a firm called London Economics International. They said the Green Energy Act was going to cost the Ontario consumer $40 billion.

Mr. Will Bouma: With a B.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Yes. Those were staggering numbers, and I say to my colleague from Brantford, the only thing is they were a little bit wrong because it cost a lot more than $40 billion for the implementation of the Green Energy Act.

We’ve been cleaning up this mess and we’re now moving forward with the Affordable Energy Act that is going to change the world here in Ontario when it comes to our clean energy. Let’s remember, we’re not doing it on producing power alone; we are talking about the biggest, broadest, best conservation program ever initiated in the province of Ontario.

I know sometimes my friends on the other side have talked about conservation, but conservation alone can’t do it. We need a full suite of programs, including generation, conservation and transmission. You’re going to get it from this government. The future is bright for the people of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): We’ll now go to question and answers.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I had a chance to listen to all three speakers today, and all of them, quite correctly, noted the need for affordability and their commitment to affordability. But I read the act and the integrated energy resource plan “may” include goals for affordability, but doesn’t require goals for affordability. So why don’t you require goals for affordability in this act?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The legislation, in its

short title, is the Affordable Energy Act, which codifies in law an ability for the Independent Electricity System Operator to provide energy conservation to 100% of people in 100% of regions—that is explicitly in the statute. This law enables nuclear energy generation, which the OEB has said is the one of the low-cost expansions of affordable power explicitly in this act. This legislation enables EV charging for free, to remove the requirement for licensing to liberalize access to EV, which is a public good codified in the legislation. There can be no clearer public policy intent than affordability, than this act.

It begs the question: Will you support Canada’s largest energy conservation plan, enabled by the Affordable Energy Act?

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Mr. Will Bouma: I really enjoyed the speeches this morning from the ministers and the parliamentary assistant. I’ll leave this question open to all of them.

Speaker, I remember hearing the quote—I looked it up, and it has been modified a little bit over the years. In 1879, Thomas Edison said, “We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles.” I feel like we are a long ways away from that right now.

As we know, the previous Liberal government’s Green Energy Act prioritized ideology over affordability.

In contrast, our government is focusing on practical solutions, with the Affordable Energy Act. I’m going to ask any of the speakers: How do you see this legislation impacting Ontario families, especially with this emphasis on energy-efficiency programs? This feels like a positive step forward for families, for businesses and for seniors.

Hon. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the member for Brantford–Brant for his question. It’s a very, very important question—it’s the overarching theme of all of the measures that are happening within this legislation to emphasize affordability. All of our agencies, boards and commissions, all of the LDCs in the province of Ontario, all of our generators—every single contract that we’re creating when it comes to bringing new power online is driven by this imperative to ensure that we have affordable energy for the people of the province of Ontario.

We’re really taking, in this legislation, an all-hands-on-deck approach. We’re saying every single fuel source in this province needs to be considered as part of our energy tool box to ensure that we have a diverse, reliable grid, that we have a diversity of options available. But, fundamentally, the reason for that is because the competition between those fuels, the competition between generation sources drives prices down. We’ve seen, in some of our last procurements, prices come down upwards of 30% for the people of Ontario. That’s a commitment that this legislation codifies.

The Minister of Energy and Electrification has been clear in his answer to the member from the opposition. Every single aspect of this legislation is seen through the lens of what we can do to ensure that job creators, families, seniors and students are supported with affordability in your riding and every riding across the province.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Mr. Ted Hsu: I’m going to start with something that the minister touted, which was the success of time-of-use pricing. He mentioned it was a 150-megawatt power plant taking Barrie off the grid.

People may remember, in Kingston, Utilities Kingston sent out these little coloured cards, back in 2006—you’d pay 3.5 cents off-peak, 7.5 cents mid-peak, 10.5 cents if you used peak electricity. As a result of this long-term view and getting people to change their habits, we now have been able to do what the minister says: tout the success of time-of-use pricing. It’s like having a 150-megawatt generator right when you need the power in the afternoon, when all the households are using electricity.

This government has been in power for six years, and only now they have a plan to have a plan for long-term energy. Why has the government not come out with a plan earlier? There was a long-term energy plan—the last time it was updated was 2017, by the last government.

This government has a lot—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you.

We’re going to go to the response from the minister.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: It’s interesting; I heard the member say “change behaviour.” You can’t take the Liberal out of the Liberal Party. This is all about some government policy and position on people—that’s actually the same logic that was used on the carbon tax: to change behaviour by increasing costs on consumers, instead of polluter-pay for large industry.

It is the impetus behind why, in 2018, the people of Ontario sent your party packing—and I say this respectfully. You had an egregious record.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Order.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Well, I’m respectful that it’s a matter of historic fact that in 2018 you lost party status on the basis of losing sight of affordability.

If you want to put your money where your mouth is, vote for a bill that expands conservation, that delivers long-term integrated planning, that ends the silos that your government enabled, that actually expands EV charging, that makes housing more attainable. Actually do something about the problems you often define in this House and vote for a plan that creates affordability and makes it an actual realization for young people in our province.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Ms. Laurie Scott: I’m pleased to rise today to speak to our Affordable Energy Act and reminisce quickly. The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke said it the best: What the disastrous Liberal green energy plan did to the people in Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock—I can tell you the genuine stories of driving them into poverty when their energy bills went up 300%—very sad stories and very real.

Now, we have a current Minister of Energy and Electrification who came to Bobcaygeon in my riding to announce the largest natural gas expansion in the province of Ontario to deliver affordable energy to over 3,500 homes. I just want to ask the minister to expand on those projects that are going on and what we are doing for affordability for the people in Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock and the province.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member for the question. Because of her leadership, including back as Minister of Infrastructure, we enabled large-scale expansions of affordable energy to more people, to more farmers, to more parts of rural Ontario.

I really do believe an all-of-the-above approach means looking at market options to reduce costs for people. You speak to a farmer in her community, of which we met many—I met her local mayors, some community leaders, and they all said to us that affordable energy options are the way forward to reduce costs and to support the food security members opposite rightfully raised as a public policy challenge against government. How do we enable more production in our province? Well, we’re going to need affordable energy to drive the way, and our greenhouses require mass amounts of energy. So that expansion into her rural community is a lifeline for communities that were paying expensive energy.

We now can displace dirtier forms of energy through affordable options. We retain one of the cleanest grids in the province. Our plan is to make it cleaner and greener, as the member for Renfrew mentioned. And I want to affirm to the member: We will continue to invest in energy expansion that delivers lower costs everywhere in this province.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Mr. Chris Glover: The Conservative government keeps talking about ideology today. The only ideology that the Conservatives believe in is that our tax dollars should go to corporate welfare rather than to our hospitals, schools, colleges and universities. But the worst corporate welfare scheme launched by the Conservative Party in Ontario was when they started to break up and sell off the pieces of Ontario Hydro. Ontario Hydro was a public utility, and for 70 years, we paid four cents a kilowatt hour. We now pay eight to 16 cents a kilowatt hour.

I will say that that corporate welfare scheme was completed by the Liberals when they sold off the last pieces of Ontario Hydro for $9 billion. Now, through our taxes, the Conservatives have us providing a $6.9-billion a year subsidy to a private, for-profit corporation—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you.

We’re going to have to go back to the other side for a quick response from the associate minister.

Hon. Sam Oosterhoff: I’m not sure in what revisionist past this member is living, but you were here, or the NDP were here, when they propped up the Liberals when they sold Hydro One in a fire sale. We saw the impacts of that. And what did you do? You voted to support them every single step of the way.

Your party had an opportunity to stand with the consumers of this province. Instead, you stood with the Liberals and their interests and their big party donors. That’s why this act is finally going to put power back in the hands in the people and ensure affordable power for every person—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Before we move to members’ statements, I beg to inform the House that the following document was tabled: a report entitled Ontario’s Credit Rating: 2024-25 Update from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

Members’ Statements

Riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Speaker, I am very proud to announce that work is finally under way on the South Common Community Centre in my riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills. I was happy to join the mayor, city councillors and construction workers for the groundbreaking of this exciting redevelopment project.

The Ontario government is investing over $45 million to reconstruct the South Common Community Centre. The new facility will include an aquatics centre, a fitness centre, an enlarged gymnasium and a 16,000-square-foot library. This is exciting news for the community of Mississauga–Erin Mills, and we cannot wait to see this centre return for public use in the near future.

Speaker, I also attended Trillium Health Partners Foundation’s annual Diwali gala fundraiser. The goal was to raise funds for Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and the great work of THP in Mississauga. We are building the biggest hospital in Canada’s history, with the largest emergency room in Canada. They are also operating Wellbrook Place, a newly opened long-term-care facility with 632 state-of-the-art long-term-care beds.

And just the other week, I visited Ivan Franko Ukrainian Homes in my riding, with the Minister of Long-Term Care. That facility of 160 safe, modern beds is well under construction and will be finished soon.

Lots of infrastructure is coming to Mississauga, and we are very excited to see our community flourish.

Addiction services

MPP Lise Vaugeois: The addictions crisis is hard on everyone—hard on those living in encampments and hard on those worried about safety in their neighbourhoods. But the closure of consumption treatment sites goes against the recommendations of the province’s own experts and that is because these sites improve community safety and save lives—465 lives in Thunder Bay alone; 465 people who did not need emergency services; 465 people who lived long enough to get access to other supports.

In 2018, it was the province that approved Thunder Bay’s Path 525, knowing its exact location. A year ago, the province paid for significant capital renovations, and the service completed and implemented a community safety strategy, as required by the province. So why the sudden change of direction? To win votes by creating scapegoats? To distract from the government’s failures to address the levels of homelessness and poverty not seen since the Great Depression?

People whose lives have been saved by harm reduction sites have gone on to become community leaders, but only because sites like Path 525 helped them stay alive until they were able to gain control over their addictions.

Addictions affect people from all walks of life, including many working in the trades with high-paying jobs. It’s time to end the stereotyping and the stigma.

Harm reduction is one of the four essential pillars of care, and if the experts, including those with lived experience, are listened to, Path 525 in Thunder Bay will stay open.

Algoma University Thunderbirds soccer teams

Mr. Ross Romano: This morning, I want to chat a little bit about my alma mater Algoma University.

I was very excited, this past summer—for many of you who know me and my family, we are very close and tight to the game of soccer; very, very actively involved in that.

Algoma University, my alma mater, joined the OUA several years ago, and this year was a pretty productive year for the Algoma University men’s Thunderbirds soccer team. This year, they experienced their first-ever two wins of the season—they only had two this year, so they didn’t make the playoffs, but it was still pretty exciting. They defeated the York University team, which was, at one point, ranked number one in the OUA. They also defeated the Windsor university soccer team. The women’s team didn’t fare so well with the victories; they only had four ties on the year—but still a very, very productive year for the girls’ team as well.

Just something really notable for the university, coming from school—when I was attending there as a full-time student, we were still members of Laurentian. We were the little sister or little brother university to that institution. We’ve come quite a long way, and here we are, defeating the likes of York University, Windsor university. And I’m hoping that next year we’ll be able to make the playoffs for the first time in their history.

Garba

MPP Jamie West: Speaker, on Saturday, I celebrated Garba with Sudbury’s Gujarati community. It was organized by Sudbury’s Canadian Gujju Cultural Association of Northern Ontario.

Thanks to people like my friend Jay Mahida, I learn more about Garba every single year, and I’m grateful to have those experiences.

Garba is a form of dance, but it’s also a religious and social event that originated in Gujarat, India. Garba is performed during Navratri, the longest and largest dance festival in world. Navratri actually means “nine nights.” It’s the Hindu festival dedicated to Durga, the feminine form of divinity and her nine forms, from the fierce, sword-wielding Kalaratri to the smiling creator of the universe, Kushmanda.

Garba is also layered with a lot of symbolism of the feminine divine and the cyclical nature of life. For example, Garba is performed in a circle, which represents the cycle of time from birth to life to death to rebirth. It’s also common to dance barefoot at Garba as a sign of respect for the earth. Sudbury’s Garba night had a lot dancing, community, respect, camaraderie and, of course, food.

It was incredibly fun. I literally could not stop smiling the entire evening. My apologies to everyone whose feet I may have stepped on while trying to learn the traditional dances. I want to thank, again, the Canadian Gujarati cultural association of northern Ontario for hosting such a wonderful and inclusive event. I’m grateful to have been a part of it.

Choices Association Inc.

Ms. Donna Skelly: Good morning. Today, I would like to highlight a wonderful organization in my riding, Choices Association Inc. Choices works to provide supports that will enhance the quality of life for people living with developmental disabilities. Through the promotion of self-worth and social inclusion, they ensure that the people they support have opportunities to live and to participate in their communities.

Earlier this month, I met with the team at Choices to hear more about the $118,000 that they received through the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund. The grant has helped fund the hiring of a health services connector, as well as the purchase of equipment and the renovation of space to better provide in-house support for participants.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to hear several inspirational stories, such as the one from Michael Jacques. Michael is an inspiring young adult with autism and an intellectual disability. His story truly is inspirational. Despite the inability to read or write, Michael is the author of Here’s My Book, a book written by using an iPad’s speech-to-text function. It’s a collection of life stories and discoveries that teach people to embrace and celebrate their differences.

Organizations such as Choices are what make Flamborough–Glanbrook such a great place to live, and the people that they support, such as Michael, are influential members of our community, which I am so proud to recognize today.

Visit to West Flanders

Mr. John Vanthof: As we are in the House today all wearing poppies, I’m reminded of a trip I took this summer. We went to visit my wife’s family in the Netherlands, and my brother-in-law Bram took me to Belgium, to West Flanders, to the city of Ypres.

The region of West Flanders looks an awful lot like southern Ontario. There are towns dotted here and there, large commercial farms, large livestock farms, but the one thing that is different, it’s also dotted with graveyards. At one gravesite where we stopped, there were 12,500 headstones. Behind the headstones, there was a granite wall with 100,000 names in it for people who were never identified. Between those headstones, there were poppies growing. The poem came to my head: “In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row.”

It made me think of all the people who have suffered, who have died—but that happened before the Second World War, before Nazism. We don’t seem to be learning. I wish that everyone had the opportunity—that’s why I’m sharing it today—to stand there, in Flanders Fields, and watch the poppies grow.

Small businesses

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: Last week was Small Business Week, and it was a time to celebrate the entrepreneurs who are driving Ontario’s economy. These small businesses do more than just provide goods and services, they create jobs and strengthen the vibrant communities we proudly represent.

Behind every business is an entrepreneur with a vision. Recently, I had the pleasure of joining small business minister Nina Tangri to announce our government’s $2-million investment in Futurpreneur, supporting young entrepreneurs in launching new business and creating nearly 1,200 new jobs.

I also visited four fantastic women-owned small businesses in Oakville North–Burlington which had recently opened their doors: Mel’s Diner, Daylight bar and grill, the Blue Cafe and OsteoStrong, as well as Guiding Light Autism Services and Bombay Grocers. Each has brought their vision to life and contributed to the local community and economy. These success stories are great examples of what can happen when entrepreneurs have access to the right supports, right resources and opportunities to grow.

Speaker, I look forward to more of these visits as we proudly stand with Ontario’s entrepreneurs. We’re committed to ensuring they have every opportunity to succeed and keep building a stronger Ontario for all. Because when entrepreneurs succeed, Ontario succeeds.

Health care funding

Mr. Will Bouma: Good morning. I am pleased to rise today to speak about the incredible investments that our government is making in the Brant Community Healthcare System.

Brantford General Hospital serves over 120,000 people, in my riding and beyond, by providing state-of-the-art programs via teams of incredible doctors, nurses and other health care workers. The hard work that these health care professionals do each and every day ensures a high level of patient-focused care.

However, Brantford General Hospital’s age and deteriorating state hinders the efforts made by these incredible individuals. That is why our government has invested a substantial $23 million this year alone in critical infrastructure at Brantford General Hospital. Hospital officials have said that these funds have been essential in repairing the hospital’s utility tunnel and boiler systems, ensuring a safe and reliable environment for patients, families and staff. Speaker, this is crucial to maintaining high-quality patient care and underscores the importance of well-maintained hospital infrastructure.

As the Brantford–Brant community looks forward to the future and plans to redevelop and build our hospital sites, this investment marks a vital step to sustaining operations at the hospital.

I would also be remiss if I did not extend a thank you to the Brant Community Healthcare System CEO, Bonnie Camm, who identified the issues with the hospital and let us know how and what we needed to fix. Thank you, Bonnie and the entire team at the Brant Community Healthcare System, for everything that you do for our community and keeping us healthy.

Member’s farewell

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: In 2006, I stepped into this hallowed chamber. I had a baby cradled in my arms as Bob Runciman and John Tory walked me through that door. We were joined by Peter Tabuns, although not in the same party, who became a great friend of mine, and I have to say he touched me this morning when he told me that when his mother passed away this past September, she had a picture of me and him in her funeral proceedings.

I harken back to that day because it was a day of hope and it was a day of promise. It was marked with the presence of many great people, and it was fun to be together embarking on the journey.

As Christine Elliott and I walked into the chamber, we sat behind the stalwart Ted Arnott and the spirited Garfield Dunlop. Of course, we had to blush—and the Speaker now knows what I’m talking about; he did as well—because Garfield loudly proclaimed that we had taken our seats behind the eye candy of the Legislature.

In the spirit of the humour that characterizes all of our time here, the late Bill Murdoch, with a devilish twinkle in his eye, took out his dentures in front of Christine and I, leaving the late Gerry Martiniuk in stitches. Of course, anybody that knew Gerry knew he had a belly full of laughs.

I’ve come to realize after those first five minutes of my inaugural question period that Queen’s Park wasn’t nearly a compilation of people from different parts, but that we were actually a living, breathing embodiment of each new member, just like Zee, Tyler and Steve, each with a fresh perspective and a new idea that they brought forward to this place. All of that was woven with the experience of those like John Yakabuski. It’s a place enriched by those who have weathered the storms of public opinion, as I certainly have, and electoral change, as I have seen over the past 20 years in this assembly.

This place is magical not for the routine proceedings or the motions that we engage in, but it is because of the vibrant humanity that fills it. It’s a place filled with shared laughter, questions asked, debates ignited, and I must say, Speaker, I have seen that commitment and dedication to each of those of us who have chosen to serve. That’s why the true magic lies in our differences, the unique stories each of us brings, and it’s a gift to us fortunate enough to be elected to this assembly.

The experiences that I’ve had that come to mind are vast and exciting, and some are not, but I’ll never forget the day that John Yakabuski, Steve Clark and I were the surprise musical guests at an NDP caucus meeting where expectations ran pretty high, because their crowd spends time with the Barenaked Ladies. We didn’t walk in naked and there was only one lady. But the best part of that, when we surprised everyone, was a great mash-up of country singing by Yak and, of course, Rosie Marchese singing a type of opera that none of us had ever heard before. That night, we got the John Vanthof two thumbs up.

Then there were the nights that were spent in the west lobby as we shut down the Ontario Legislature over the HST. Tim Hudak, Randy Hillier and, again, Murdoch sang Johnny Cash songs off-key. We were united at that time in our defiance of the HST, and Norm Miller and myself brought in 500,000 amendments to the HST.

There were also more weighty moments and trials that tested us. When Kathleen Wynne stood firm during the terrorist attack on Parliament Hill, she refused to shut down the Legislature during a time of national crisis. We came together in this assembly as a family. We were united in navigating the storm, and the unity and strength of Ontario came shining through on that particular day.

We faced losses as Bruce Crozier departed just days after our heartfelt farewells. Jim Flaherty passed and left indelible marks in each of our hearts while his wife, Christine, was leading our question period. Gordie Brown’s death was felt in real time in this chamber as Steve Clark notified our entire country and became a strong shoulder for Eleanor McMahon, who crossed the floor to grieve.

Yes, COVID-19 tested us all, but amid the challenges, we found some sweeter moments, like the privilege of witnessing Sol Mamakwa speak in Indigenous language in this House for the first time, a transcendent moment that honoured the richness and heritage of the place we call home. Babies have been born to our members, others have become grandparents and still others have left for higher office while serving.

I’ve had some health difficulties, and some of the most comforting gestures were the warmth of a visit to my office from former Premier Dalton McGuinty; the thoughtful notes from Jim Bradley, Cheri DiNovo, Suze Morrison and—I’m going to out you here—Jill Andrew; and sweet and gentle moments but also from my colleague Will Bouma and his wife Joni.

These are the moments that are some of the best, the funniest, the most humbling and the most genuine of my life. It’s been a profound gift to share these experiences with each one of you.

I am always remembering one other thing that didn’t make it into this final speech, but I have to talk about John Fraser for one moment—a good-looking guy; he actually put his face on his election posters, and I have never a funny face on one of them.

But I will say this: The guy has got some humour. We were at a concussion event in 2015, and John got up to speak and I said, “Who can say no to that face?” He said, “24,962 people who didn’t vote for me in the last election.”

Mr. John Fraser: It was 16,000.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: No, I did the math last night.

Mr. John Fraser: Tory math.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: Oh, John. You just realized what you should have a long time ago, that Joe Varner probably should have told you: I always get the last word.

But as I conclude, I want to say that Tim Hudak reminded me of the platform that we all hold, and John Tory taught me something that is important for all of us to know too: Life unfolds in chapters. I stand here, comfortable in the knowledge that I have had both. And I want to say this to each one of you: You do as well.

I want to say, in my last statement here in this Legislature—my deepest appreciation to each of you. Every single one of you, I look at and you’ve given me a story. You’ve given me life. And despite what you might think when I’m in question period, I do look at each one of you with deep admiration and affection, even when you may have been my harshest critic, and that usually came from this side. I learned a great deal from you.

Thank you very much and I look forward to watching all of you succeed.

Applause.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have some special guests for the member from Nepean who are with us today: Jacqueline Martin, Patricia Sloan, Victoria Woolsey, Jessica Currie, Richard Fromm, Dameon Halstead, Ahmed Mawel, Derek Rowland, Susan Truppe, Vincenzo Call, Faith States-Linton, Monia Prince, Jahmeila Moore, and Kaie Mayers. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly.

We also have some very special guests who are all former Speakers of this Assembly. We have with us Alvin Curling, who was the Speaker in the 38th Parliament; Steve Peters, who was the Speaker in the 39th Parliament; and Dave Levac, who was the Speaker in the 40th and 41st Parliaments. They served this institution with distinction. We are delighted to have you back. Thank you for coming.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And I should add that Speaker David Warner from the 35th Parliament, I believe, is on his way.

Also visiting the Legislature today are guests in the members’ gallery: Amanda Bell, George Wamala, Bruce Wood, Judy Dobbs, Hannah Kosc, Danielle Barrett, Natalie McGarry and Brooklyn Mattinson. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It gives me great honour to introduce James Saunders, from Beech Street Books and Saunders Book Co.; Naseem Hrab, from Kids Can Press; and Noelle Allen, from Wolsak and Wynn, who are here for the Ontario Book Publishers Organization’s Ontario book day. They will be hosting the made-in-Ontario book fair after question period from 11:30 until 2 in room 228. I hope all members can join.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Good morning, everyone. It’s my pleasure today to welcome people from OREA, Ontario Real Estate Association. We have awesome Anna Michaelidis, jazzy Jeff Luciano and clever Cristian Vergara. Welcome to your House.

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I’d like to welcome the Sikh Youth Motorcycle Club to Queen’s Park, marking the anniversary of the helmet exemption.

MPP Jill Andrew: Speaker, I’m going to try to be dramatic. Today is Arts in the Parks day at Queen’s Park. If you are an artist or a cultural worker, welcome to your House, Queen’s Park, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

I happen to see Alistair Hepburn with ACTRA here. I happen to see Cynthia Lynch with Film Ontario. I know that we have wonderful people from the Ontario Book Publishers Organization here, including Catherine Little, a fabulous author from my St. Paul’s community.

From the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, we have Matt McGeachy, director of government relations. We have the National Ballet of Canada here: Amanda Ram, interim executive director. And, last but certainly not least, we have Amy Mushinski, director of public relations and strategic partnerships from the Canadian Ahhh-pera Company.

Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: As the MPP who represents the majority of Ontario’s legal tobacco producers, I am pleased to rise in the House and recognize the team from Rothmans Benson and Hedges who are in the Legislature today discussing their transformation, sustainability, science and illicit trade prevention. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. John Jordan: I want to welcome the Egg Farmers of Ontario and thank them for the delicious omelettes this morning. In particular, I want to thank Scott Helps, chair of the Egg Farmers of Ontario board; Ian McFall, Burnbrae Farms; and Lorne Benedict for meeting with me later today. Thank you, gentlemen.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome some realtors from the Ontario Real Estate Association who have made the trip from Nickel Belt. That’s Julie Robert, Ashley Sauve and Paul Kusnierczyk. Thank you for coming to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Ted Hsu: I want to welcome members of OREA who are here today, in particular the group from Kingston who I’m going to meet later today: Erin Finn, Kady Romagnuolo, David Pinnell and Joel Thompson. Welcome to your House.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): With the indulgence of the House, I’d like to continue with introductions of visitors.

Ms. Laura Smith: It’s my very great honour to welcome Annie Dowd, OLIP intern from Brockville.

On a similar note to the member opposite, although I do not think I can do the justice that she did to it, I want to welcome our friends from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet to the Arts in the Parks function, proceeding at 2:30.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I would like to add my voice to the chorus of welcomes to those folks from OREA. I had the pleasure of meeting with Alexander Coté, Alysha Fiorio and Oresta Kisil this morning.

This afternoon, I have the pleasure of meeting, from the Ontario Book Publishers Organization, Leigh Nash, Emily Ferko and Ashley Hisson.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I’m very lucky to have two interns working out of my office right now; as you all know, I need all the help I can get. I just want to say thank you to Jaden Gould, from the legislative learner program, and Alex Salton, who will be my OLIP intern, for joining our office, and I look forward to working with you.

Ms. Laurie Scott: Today, Ali Buchanan from my riding is page captain, and I’d like to welcome her parents, Marilyn and Steve, to the Legislature. I know she’s doing a good job. Enjoy.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I would like to welcome Karen Hill and Erin Nadon from Thunder Bay, who are here representing the Ontario Real Estate Association. Welcome to your House. I look forward to speaking with you later.

Hon. David Piccini: I will not sing, but I would like to welcome Max Rettig, Brian Kaufmann and Emma Kristensen from DoorDash.

And a very special welcome to two great friends from my riding of Northumberland–Peterborough South: Gord Robinson and Martin Bugden, who are here taking in question period and then having some lunch after.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It gives me great pleasure to welcome Bill Madder and Adam Miller from the Ontario Real Estate Association.

I also want to welcome Burnbrae Farms as part of the Egg Farmers of Ontario and thank them for their very generous gift to the London Health Sciences Centre.

M. Stéphane Sarrazin: Aujourd’hui, j’ai le plaisir d’accueillir les élèves de 10 e année de l’École secondaire catholique de Plantagenet. J’aurai la chance de les rencontrer un peu plus tard aujourd’hui. J’ai bien hâte de m’entretenir avec eux. C’est un peu spécial pour moi parce que moi et mes deux filles avons étudié à l’École secondaire catholique de Plantagenet.

Sur une autre note, j’aimerais aussi souhaiter la bienvenue à Marcel Jr. Laviolette, qui est ici à Queen’s Park avec ses collègues, les producteurs d’oeufs de l’Ontario—Egg Farmers of Ontario. Bienvenue à M. Marcel Jr. Laviolette.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I would also like to welcome realtors from Oshawa, who are here as members of OREA: Wendy Giroux, Vicki Sweeney, Alex Down, Roger Bouma, Chris Vale and Christine Riley. They work so hard to help people find a home. We hope they find themselves at home here at Queen’s Park today.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I want to welcome two members of OREA here from Renfrew county today: Cindy Sell and Ian Fortugno.

I also want to wish two happy birthdays—one to the member from Nepean. We were so moved by her address earlier today. It’s her 50th birthday today. Also—and you never know when you’ll get another chance—my father would be 102 today, so I want to wish him a happy birthday too.

Applause.

Ms. Catherine Fife: I’d like to welcome Christal Moura, Andrea Fedy, Tania Benninger from the Ontario Real Estate Association. I’ll be meeting with them later on.

Of course, I also want to wish a very special birthday to our whip, the member from London West, Peggy Sattler.

Applause.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Mr. Speaker, today I would like to do a shout-out to Ethan. Ethan is a young boy who’s touring Queen’s Park today. His mom and dad, Kim and Jon, are very good friends of mine. I hope that he will enjoy the tour with his school, and I also hope that this will inspire him to continue to be politically engaged throughout his life, and maybe even be a page in this House.

Ethan, I hope you’re having a great time at Queen’s Park today.

MPP Jill Andrew: I’d like to take the opportunity to thank and recognize the former Speaker of the House, Alvin Curling.

Mr. Curling, thank you very much for the inspiration you’ve been to me and to many of us in this House, as the first Black Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Applause.

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’d like to introduce some visitors to the Legislature today, from the Sarnia-Lambton Real Estate Board: Steve Park, Dave Bratanek and Tracy Marino.

Welcome to your House.

Mr. Chris Glover: Mr. Speaker, I’d like to welcome to the House, from the Ontario Book Publishers Organization, Karen Boersma from Owlkids Books, Christine Handley from Broadview Press, Crystal Miller from Coach House Books, and Jay Millar from Book*hug Press, based in Spadina–Fort York.

Welcome to your House. I look forward to meeting with you later today.

Hon. Stan Cho: The names have been mentioned and I won’t repeat them—but welcome to the organization of book publishers of Ontario and to FilmOntario.

I’m going to stop right there because there’s no way I’m following up the Toronto–St. Paul’s member’s performance this morning.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: It was my mistake yesterday for not acknowledging that Toronto Centre’s own page was the lead from yesterday—Isabella Mendoza Ferguson, who is in this chamber serving all the members quite well. Her mother, Laura Ferguson, was also here yesterday. So please extend our thanks and congratulations to them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I believe that concludes our introduction of visitors for this morning. It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

Affordable housing

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Everywhere I go, people are struggling. Their housing is not being built. Rents are skyrocketing and illegal evictions are becoming more and more common. But this government ignored recommendations from their own expert task force and cut funding for community housing by 70%.

It’s never been more clear that we need more options: homes of all shapes and all sizes in the neighbourhoods where people want to live.

Speaker, my question to the Premier is, when are you going to start investing in permanently affordable public, non-profit and co-op homes that Ontario needs?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: First, let me also just say hello to Speaker Curling. You may know that he gave me my first job in politics as an intern, as a 15-year-old intern at the Ministry of Housing when he was the Minister of Housing back then, so I thank him. I know the House entirely appreciates what you’ve unleashed on the people of the province of Ontario, so thank you for that, sir.

Look, Mr. Speaker, we have been focused since day one on building more homes across the province of Ontario—and not us building more homes, but putting the environment in place that can get more shovels in the ground. I think that is the difference between us and the opposition. They think that by adding red tape, by adding government regulation, that somehow more homes get built. It has taken us six years to untangle the mess that was left behind by the Liberals and the NDP, which really put a pause on home building in the province of Ontario, but we are getting the job done, Mr. Speaker. We’ll continue on the path of reducing red tape, cutting costs to get more homes built.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, that’s pretty rich coming from a government when you have housing starts actually down in the province of Ontario. And my goodness, yes, we need market solutions, but we also need non-market solutions.

This Premier has $100 billion in taxpayer money for his ridiculous tunnel fantasy, right? He has hundreds of millions of dollars to waste on private luxury spas in downtown Toronto and on his Beer Store giveaways, but he will not spend a cent more to support community housing.

When the Premier didn’t get his way with selling off the greenbelt to his developer friends, he just threw up his hands. They’ve got no other plan to reach their own housing targets.

People are struggling. It’s time for this government to get back in the business of building housing. It is your job. So when will the Premier get serious and start building the housing that people truly need?

Hon. Paul Calandra: In fact, since this government came to office, we’ve put in place conditions that saw housing starts reach their highest level ever, Mr. Speaker, and not just single, detached homes, but purpose-built rentals—their highest level in the history of the province.

Now, colleagues, what unleashed this opportunity is when we started reducing red tape, when we started eliminating all of the obstacles that went in the way and when we reduced taxes and the cost of building. Do you know what happened? People started to get shovels in the ground and people could afford to buy homes.

When the Liberals and NDP in Ottawa, when they got into this, what did they do? They increased taxes: tax and spend; tax and spend; high inflation, which led to the highest increase in interest rates in the fastest amount of time ever. And do you know what happened? People put their shovels down. They couldn’t afford it.

They want to tax to prosperity. What we want to do is unleash opportunity across the province, and we will continue to do that by removing—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The final supplementary.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Well, I think we all missed that on this side of the House, but let me tell you that the shovels are down right now all across the province of Ontario.

The government’s Housing Affordability Task Force recommended legalizing fourplex apartments in all neighbourhoods, and this government said no. They recommended legalizing density along transit corridors as of right, and this government said no. When we proposed to accept all of those recommendations, the government, the Conservatives, said no.

Next week we’re going to give the government another chance to say yes to these recommendations and to the most ambitious home-building plan the province has ever seen. We’re going to put forward our plan for Homes Ontario, a plan to make public funding, low-cost financing and public land available to non-market-housing providers so we could at least double the supply of permanently affordable non-market homes, co-ops and rent-geared-to-income all across this province.

Will the Premier support our plan to get the government back in the business of building housing?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Whew, what a relief it must be to all of the OREA members who are here today to know that the NDP are going to put together a corporation that is going to build housing across the province of Ontario. That lot over there is somehow going to bring it to the people of Ontario that they are going to build housing in Ontario. My gosh, Mr. Speaker.

Now, let’s unpack their plan. They want to spend $150 billion to build—wait for it—220,000 homes. That level of incompetence is only matched by the federal Liberals, who are spending $1.2 billion to build a housing accelerator in Toronto to build 2,000 homes.

What we are going to do is this: We are going to focus on reducing costs, because we’re not interested in building a few homes, we want to unleash opportunity that builds 1.5 million homes across the province of Ontario.

Hospital parking fees

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’ll say this: We’re still waiting. Where are these 1.5 million homes that this government keeps proposing?

I’m going to go back to the Premier. Last week, my colleague the MPP from Toronto–St. Paul’s tabled a motion to eliminate hospital parking fees. That was after we heard from so many nurses and patients who are paying hundreds of dollars to park at their workplace. We all know it’s not just the workers in hospitals, of course, it is the patients, too: cancer patients, people with chronic health issues, not to mention their families, forced to pay outrageous hospital parking fees. To me, that does sound like user fees.

Does the Premier think patients should have to pay for hospital parking before they get the care that they need?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health and member for Essex.

Mr. Anthony Leardi: The province of Ontario has a hospital parking directive. It is a directive that’s been in place for several years now. The goal of the hospital parking directive is, of course, to keep down the cost of parking in our hospitals. Of course, the parking lots themselves are not owned or run by the province of Ontario, they are actually operated by the individual hospitals that run the parking lots.

That being said, there is a directive that actually places a cap on parking fee increases. It is a hard cap. In addition to that there is also a special fee required for five-day, 10-day and 30-day parking passes. That’s keeping with our policy to help keep down the cost of parking at our hospitals.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Let me tell you what the Premier said when he was asked why he won’t remove hospital parking fees. He said he couldn’t do that to the hospital CEOs. Well, I’ll shed a tear, but what about the patients, Speaker? What about their families? What about the workers in those hospitals?

It seems like the Premier is actually admitting that his government underfunds hospitals by so much that they need to charge patients, workers and families for parking to make up for it. Can the Premier stand here and clarify his comments? Are hospital CEOs telling him that they need to charge parking fees to make up for his government’s underfunding?

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Of course, the policy of this government is to help make parking more affordable at hospitals. That’s why we have the hospital parking directive, which places a cap on any increase in parking fees at hospital parking lots and, in addition to that, provides that such parking lots must have a five-day, a 10-day and a 30-day parking pass rate.

But in addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we all remember that in 2018 the health care budget was only $60 billion in this province; today it stands at $85 billion, a 41% increase, meaning that in the province of Ontario, this government is now investing more in hospitals than any other government in the history of the province of Ontario, including building a brand new hospital in my area of Essex county, which for years you could not get an NDP member to actually endorse.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock for a minute.

The noise in here is getting a little louder by the minute. I’m going to ask members to come to order, and if they decline to do so, I’m going to start calling them out by name.

Start the clock. Final supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, the Premier is standing by while patients pay the price. That’s the truth. Instead of taking any responsibility for how this government’s decisions have left us in this health care crisis, the Premier blames patients.

In fact, let’s remember that he recently told patients to stop going to the emergency room and—get this—to go to their family doctors. It is so ridiculous. I honestly thought maybe he was making a joke. You’ll remember that he joked, apparently, about patients going to the veterinarian to get an MRI—also not terribly funny.

Some 2.5 million Ontarians do not have access to a family doctor right now, and even those who do have to wait days or months to see them, because doctors are so overworked and so overburdened. Home care patients are going to the ER to get home care supplies.

How can the Premier of this province be so callous about the realities and the difficult choices that Ontarians are making every single day in this province under his watch?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

The member for Essex.

Mr. Anthony Leardi: With regard to connecting patients with primary care in the province of Ontario, as a matter of fact, this is actually determined by a rating agency known as CIHI, which is an organization which deals with that type of thing. CIHI reports that at approximately 90%, Ontario has the highest rate of connected primary care in the entire country, better than Alberta, better than the socialist government of British Columbia and better than any other province in the entire country. That is according to the rating agency known as CIHI.

Of course, one of those examples of connecting people to primary care comes from the riding of Davenport, where an additional 1,700 people have been connected to primary care at the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre.

Victim services

Ms. Marit Stiles: This government talks a pretty big game about getting tough on crime, but within a year of being elected in 2018, this government had dismantled the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. They said that their new administrative process was going to deliver compensation faster—remember that? But the fact is, they’re just delivering almost no compensation at all.

Victims of crime used to be able to get a lump sum payment of up to $25,000 a year which they could use to rebuild their lives. A survivor of human trafficking could use it to rent an apartment and enrol in school. A survivor of domestic violence could use it to get a divorce and fight for child custody. But now, under this Premier, all of that is gone.

So, Speaker, is the Premier ready to stop the tough talk and actually get to work rebuilding Ontario’s victim compensation program?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: It’s been three years since we set up the Victim Quick Response Program, and what the Leader of the Opposition is referring to is a program that was wound down for a reason. What she and her party would advocate is that we keep a process where a victim who has gone through a heinous experience has to come before a board and retell their story, re-explain what happened to them and get revictimized through that process.

What we put in place is an immediate response to help victims, so they can get help from the front-line services, they can have doors repaired, they can have tattoos removed, they can have transportation. They can have victim supports with courts, Mr. Speaker. And all of that is immediate, instead of a gruelling, long, laborious red tape system that purports to help victims, when in fact, it was revictimizing them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question?

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’ll tell you, before they point fingers, this government needs to undo the damage that they have done to our criminal justice system. The truth is, they cut $20,000 from victims and left them with a paltry $5,000.

The Ombudsman, under the Liberals said, yes, that that board was starved of resources. Instead of rebuilding this program, what did this government do? They just completely dismantled it.

This is a story that repeats itself over and over again in this province: The Liberals starve our public services and then the Conservatives come in and kill them. So I want to know from this Premier, when will the Conservatives revive the compensation program and give Ontario’s victims the real justice that they deserve?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

The Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: What victims deserve, Mr. Speaker, are supports that are effective and timely. We have invested tens of millions of dollars in victim/witness support programs. We’ve invested millions of dollars in support programs for front-line workers to help those in their time of need when it’s happening. We have gone further. We have provided victims of human trafficking with free legal advice and support as they go through their trauma.

We don’t need a bureaucracy and a red tape process that takes years to go through to help victims. We know what they need. We are there with our victim services. Just last night, I was with Victim Services Toronto to hear their stories, their experiences of what they’re doing to help the people of Ontario. And I have to say, Mr. Speaker, I could not be more proud of this government for standing up for victims, standing up for people of Ontario and standing up for—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The next question.

Automotive industry

Ms. Laura Smith: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Yesterday, I joined the minister to welcome an important investment from Hanon Systems. This is yet another vote of confidence in Ontario’s thriving auto sector.

When we came to office, the auto sector was on the brink of collapse. Thanks to the previous government’s high-tax policies, we were there. But now we’ve realized that the sector is in better shape by lowering costs and fostering a competitive business environment. The world knows that Ontario is a global auto manufacturing powerhouse.

Speaker, can the minister please provide the House with an update on yesterday’s investment?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Yes, I can give you an update, because this company has invested $155 million here into Ontario. They are a global auto parts supplier. We met them in Korea a few years ago and convinced them to come to Ontario.

The building they have built is spectacular, but their most vote of confidence was that their expansion has already started, Speaker. The steel is already up for their phase 2. They’re hiring 300 new workers to join them as they make the electric compressors that keep the electric vehicle batteries cool. That’s part of our end-to-end supply chain that is being built right here in Ontario, and tens of thousands of good-paying jobs are being created in the process, Speaker.

We expect those 300 people to be hired now, and when we saw that expansion coming, we expect more to be hired in the future.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?

Ms. Laura Smith: I want to thank the minister for his incredible and solid work for the people of Ontario. Ontario’s auto sector has been revitalized after years of Liberal decline. Investments continue to grow and flow in, and good-paying jobs have been created right across the province. So Hanon Systems’ $155-million investment is fantastic news for the hard-working people in my riding and the surrounding region.

When the Liberals were losing 300,000 manufacturing jobs, no one would have thought that it would have been possible to land investments like this, but now we’ve secured tens of billions of dollars of new auto investments that are creating jobs in communities that the Liberals turned their backs on.

Can the minister please talk about how Ontario has earned the reputation as a global auto manufacturing powerhouse?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Think of where we were just a few years ago. In 2019, automakers from around the world announced they would be spending $300 billion in the EV sector, and zero was coming to Canada. Not a single dollar was on its way here. All 120,000 men and women who were working in the auto sector were—their jobs were absolutely at risk.

When Premier Ford announced our open-for-business approach—we’ve now landed $45 billion in new auto investments. That is more than any single US state has ever landed in their own states.

Here, you’ve got Bloomberg announcing that Ontario is now the number one global location for electric vehicle parts, dethroning China for the very first time.

That’s what’s happening here in Ontario.

Mental health services

MPP Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. But I want to remind the minister that when the Oshawa plant was closing, the Premier said, “The ship has left the dock.” It was actually the member for Oshawa who fought, along with Unifor, to save those jobs.

Speaker, yesterday, we in the official opposition NDP gave the Premier and his Conservative government an opportunity to acknowledge that mental health care is health care, and that mental health care should be included in our universal health care system. But they voted no to universal mental health care. The Premier clearly has his priorities all wrong.

We’re seeing community mental health providers on the brink of collapse and people enduring long wait times across the province for basic mental health services. Ontario needs universal mental health care now.

We know that in Ontario over 30,000 children and youth are waiting for mental health treatment. That wait-list has nearly tripled under this Conservative government. That is their failure.

Will the Premier apologize for continuing to fail Ontarians, change course and finally bring universal mental health care to Ontario? Yes or no?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply for the government, the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you for that question.

Mr. Speaker, since the moment our Premier created this portfolio, I’ve been working with my colleagues to build a functioning mental health and addictions system out of the mess that was created by the NDP and the Liberals.

As we said yesterday, we won’t take any lessons from the opposition. When they were supporting the Liberals, they had a chance to make and build a system, and what they did was nothing.

Our government is the only one in the province’s