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October 3, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-Oct-03 vol. A (PDF)

L093A - Tue 3 Oct 2023 / Mar 3 oct 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 3 October 2023 Mardi 3 octobre 2023

Orders of the Day

Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 pour des logements abordables et de bons emplois

Members’ Statements

World Friendship Year

Housing

Muslim community

Muslim community

Riding of Markham–Unionville

Climate change

Northway Wellness Centre

Housing

Dementia care

Vandalism of Jewish High Holy Days banners

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Government accountability

Government accountability

Government accountability

Life sciences sector

Government contract

Indigenous economic development

Government advertising

Municipal planning

Protection of privacy

Labour dispute

Hunting and fishing

Seniors’ health services

Housing

Services de santé dans le Nord / Northern health services

Transportation infrastructure and housing

Highway safety

Members for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock and Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke

Member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke

Petitions

GO Transit

Dental care

Housing

Alzheimer’s disease

Tenant protection

Opposition Day

Government accountability

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 pour des logements abordables et de bons emplois

Mr. Calandra moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 134,

An Act to amend the Development Charges Act, 1997 and the St. Thomas-Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023 / Projet de loi 134, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1997 sur les redevances d’aménagement et la Loi de 2023 sur la modification des limites territoriales entre St. Thomas et Central Elgin.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the minister to lead off the debate.

Hon. Paul Calandra: At the outset, let me just say that I will be sharing my time with the Associate Minister of Housing, the member for Elgin–Middlesex–London, and the parliamentary assistant, the member from Perth–Wellington.

Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak today on what has become a very, very important subject for all Ontarians—if not for all Canadians, frankly. We have seen, over the last number of years, a number of issues which have led us to a housing crisis not only in the province of Ontario, but very much across many parts of Canada. Since the outset of our government, back in 2018, we have talked about removing obstacles so that we could begin the process of unleashing the economy, but also of helping to ensure that as the economy began to grow and prosper, we could also ensure housing for the people of the province of Ontario.

So this bill here will, in part, help us. It is another step on the way. There have been a lot of steps, as I said. Each year that we have been in office, that we’ve had the honour of serving in office, we brought forward different proposals, housing supply action plans, which are meant to move and unleash that housing construction, but also very much to remove the obstacles which have become a fixture and have really blocked the construction of housing.

So this bill has a number of different parts to it—primarily, two really important parts, of course—which are an updated definition of affordable housing and some changes to the St. Thomas-Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, which I know the associate minister and parliamentary assistant will be talking about in more detail than I am. There are also a number of other additional elements which are meant to consult, to help make the process better. We’ll be, of course, working with the Attorney General to look at how we can change the Ontario Land Tribunal to make it more responsive to both sides.

It’s also an opportunity for us to work with our municipal partners to see if there are opportunities and advantages for them working through Supply Ontario to help them reduce costs.

So I just want to give a bit of context, again—I referenced this a little bit in a question the other day—on why we are so focused on building homes across the province of Ontario. I talked about how my parents, when they came here—my dad in the late 1950s and my mom in the early 1960s—that one of the bargains that they did when they came to this country—Canada was growing. It was prospering like never before, frankly. And when they came here, one of the bargains for them to leave their home in Italy and to come here was that they could build a better life for themselves and, ultimately, for their children.

But one of the bargains that that included was that, if they worked hard, they would have the opportunity to have their own piece of the Canadian dream. For them, that meant home ownership. That has been the dream of many, many people for generations.

So when my parents came to this country, they did like so many immigrants did. My dad came; he came into Halifax, took the train and got off in Toronto, where he had a job working in a barbershop—a barbershop which still exists on the Danforth. My uncle had come first. A couple of brothers followed and a sister afterward. They all lived in one home that was rented out by my uncle first. They were all in this one home. It was on Dentonia Park. I’ve driven by it a number of times, and it’s hard to imagine all of them in this one home.

But they did what so many immigrant families did; when one worked, the other would take the bed and sleep, and the other would go to work. They supported each other. They helped save money.

Each of them helped the other save money, and the first one to leave the home was my uncle. He settled on a home in Scarborough, on 26 Stevenwood. After that was my dad’s turn; he moved to another home not far from there, on Lombardy Crescent, in the riding of Scarborough Southwest. But that was part of the bargain: One at a time they moved out, and one at a time, they were able to get their own little piece of the Canadian dream, which was home ownership. From there, they were able to continue to contribute to ensure that their kids had a better life than they did. But again, that was part of the dream.

Now, we all remember, and we’ve all talked about it—at least in the context of Toronto—about wartime housing. I’m sure that’s the same description in many parts of the province of Ontario. As the troops were coming back, there was a huge demand for housing across Ontario, and we moved heaven and earth to make sure that there was a good supply of housing across the province. But they removed obstacles at that time in order to ensure that it could be done, Madam Speaker.

That, in essence, is what we’re trying to do here today. Now, there are a number of constraints. I will say this: We have seen economic growth unlike any time, frankly, in decades. I know the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade has been extraordinarily successful in helping to turn around our economy, bringing back thousands of jobs to the province of Ontario, bringing back billions of dollars of economic activity.

With that comes the need to bring people from across Canada and across the world to live and work and help us grow our economy. We are seeing people from all over come to Ontario because they want to take

part in what is the economic growth that has been ushered in by this government under the leadership of the Premier and the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade: $25 billion in investment, just in the one sector alone. It is absolutely huge. I know the associate minister will talk about what that means to the people in his area, but the spin-offs are enormous.

As Minister of Long-Term Care, I was criss-crossing the province. We were opening up long-term-care homes. We were sod-turning in a number of different communities. One of the principles that the Premier said to us when we started this massive investment in long-term care was to make sure that we brought long-term care into small, rural communities across the province, so people could live and work in the communities that they helped build.

Very much what we’re hearing from a lot of these long-term-care homes in a lot of different communities is that they also will need the housing because the increase to four hours of care means a dramatic increase in the staffing that they will need in order to support long-term care. The same goes with our redevelopment of the hospital sector. It is a very real need, not only in our largest cities but across the province of Ontario.

Frankly, as much as it is a challenging problem to have, it is also very much a good problem to have. It is a good problem to have because people want to come to Ontario to participate in what is, really, a reenergizing of the province, as I said, like we have never seen before.

I just want to say one thing before I move on to another topic: We talk a lot about people coming from around the world to be here to participate. It’s something that the Premier talked about a lot, that we have to make sure that we have housing for the people who want to come here to build a better life. We heard a question last week from a member of the opposition suggesting that perhaps we should ask the federal government to slow down immigration so that we could deal with the housing crisis, Madam Speaker.

I absolutely flat-out reject that premise, as has the Premier, because to be clear, if we would have thought that back when my parents came, I wouldn’t be here. Many of the members on this side of the House, and presumably on that side of the House, would not have been here. We cannot build a bigger, better, stronger province of Ontario without people coming from around the world to help us to do that. So it is also for them that we make these investments in building homes and untangling the burden that has gotten in the way of building homes across the province of Ontario.

I just want to also really briefly speak to some of the other challenges that we’re seeing in the homes sector. I talked, again, about this really, really briefly in a question in question period. There is no doubt, there is absolutely no doubt—and I’m sure you’ll agree, Madam Speaker—that the high-debt, high-tax, red-tape policies of the federal government have led to a challenging environment for people across this country.

You will know, Madam Speaker and, as I said, I’m sure you’ll agree, that we had said right from the beginning in 2018 that a carbon tax would be a challenge for the people of Canada and an extraordinary challenge for the people of the province of Ontario. We have fought that tax tooth and nail because we knew it would lead to poor outcomes for our province.

Now, under the great leadership of the Minister of Environment, we have seen Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions on the back of our nuclear program—we are continuing to be leaders. But the carbon tax has caused out-of-control inflation, high taxes and big spending, which is leading to higher interest rates and is putting thousands of people out on of the market for homes. We certainly can’t allow that to continue. So I wanted to just suggest that we will continue to fight that as well, because it’s not just about getting shovels in the ground. There’s no point in getting shovels in the ground if people can’t afford to buy the homes that you are building in communities.

And it is really one of the reasons why we updated the definition of affordable housing, because we want to do it not only as part of what the housing market is in a local community as the definition has been, really, since 2005; we wanted to go one step further. Recognizing the high-tax, high-interest-rate policies of the federal government were having a dramatic impact on people across the province of Ontario, we knew that we had to change that definition of affordable housing to also include income. This is something that we worked very closely with our partners on, and it will vary from community to community.

Median income in Toronto is certainly higher than it might be in Kawartha Lakes or in other parts of the province, so we’re going on a community-to-community basis to see what that means and to ensure that people in every part of this province can participate, whether it’s your first ownership of your first home or in the rental market. Because, let’s not forget, it’s not just about home ownership; for many people; it’s about getting their first apartment. More often than not, that is the first step that leads, eventually, to home ownership.

We saw that, again, the continued red tape and obstacles that were in the way created a rental housing crisis across the province of Ontario as well. And we are seeing, because of the changes that this government has made since 2018, people come back into the rental housing market like never before, and by that, I mean the builders. They’re coming in and they are building purpose-built rental housing, and we have the highest starts that we’ve seen, I think, in over 15 years. That is really, really good news, and it is in all parts of the province.

But that is not to suggest that the work is done there, because there is still a lot of work to do on that front, Madam Speaker. But I have been very, very encouraged by what we’re seeing on that side.

At same time, the changes that we’ve made so far with respect to the previous housing supply action plans have led to the highest housing starts that we have had, also, in 15 years. So it is no coincidence that when you remove red tape, when you remove regulations—out-of-date regulations, as the Minister of Red Tape Reduction has been doing—it brings people back into the market. It brings people back into the market. But it’s also, again, about taxation, right? It’s about taxation.

Now, I really was encouraged—I have to say this. I know, gosh, for years, we had been struggling with a federal government that just did not seem to understand we were in a housing crisis. I will say that I am optimistic with the new federal Minister of Housing, Minister Fraser. He seems to be prepared to help remove obstacles, even if the rest of his government is not. I am very much looking forward to working with him.

In fact, as you will recall, Madam Speaker, we brought forward, in our last year’s budget, that we wanted to remove the HST from purpose-built rental. We knew that that would be an opportunity to unleash housing starts across the province of Ontario and another boost, really. Now, this was a promise, of course, that the federal Liberals had made in 2015 but that we could never get actioned. We could just never just get action. We needed them to remove the GST; we would remove the HST. We’re moving on our own.

I will give Minister Fraser credit. Having coffee with him in Windsor, talking about how important this was to the province of Ontario and suggesting that we were prepared to move on our own, he was able to break the logjam that had been in front of him, his government since 2015, and was able to get that done so that more provinces could unleash this opportunity.

But what really was important, I think, on that, was the acknowledgement from the federal government that cutting taxes will help unleash the economy. That is as much as it is important—

Interjections.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Yes, it really is. Right? Think about that for a moment, Madam Speaker. There was resistance the entire time that they had been in office to eliminating a tax, which we believed, if we eliminated that tax—because Progressive Conservative believe that. We believe that if you eliminate taxes, you help unleash the economy. And do you know what that brings in? That brings in more revenue so you can support the programs that are vital to the people of the province of Ontario.

But think about how important it was, that acknowledgement. I give Minister Fraser credit. Even if the rest of the federal government is not on side, I give him credit for recognizing that by reducing taxes in this instance, we could see more housing starts across the province of Ontario—purpose-built rental housing. And that is a huge acknowledgement.

Again, I will say very vocally and in a very public fashion that that same spirit of tax-cutting, I think, would benefit the entire country if we looked, for instance, at the carbon tax and some of the other taxes that are standing in the way of us really tackling this housing crisis not only across Ontario, but across the country. I am very heartened to see that in other parts of Canada, they are starting to follow some of the things that we have done.

We’re starting to hear it more often, building houses around transit. We call it transit-oriented communities, but we’re starting to hear about it more and more often, that other jurisdictions are doing that. We’re hearing about British Columbia, how they have now set housing targets for their larger communities. Of course, we have done that, and that’s something that we have championed for a long time, but there’s no point in setting a housing target if you don’t give your communities the opportunity to succeed. So that is a very real part of what this is.

Now, on top of that, you will recall we brought in the Building Faster Fund. The Building Faster Fund is another tool that is put on the table for our municipal partners who not only meet their housing targets, but if you exceed the housing targets—and we want everybody to participate. There should be no community across the province of Ontario that isn’t willing to participate—and frankly, Madam Speaker, they are willing to participate. They are willing to participate. We’re hearing this from our partners across the province who are reaching out to me, each and every day, saying, “We want a housing target.

We want to be able to participate and help provide housing for the people in our community.” I’m hearing from a lot of communities that are saying, “Look, we’re bringing jobs and economic development into our community for the first time.” Lower energy prices and the work that the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade is doing have helped unleash the economy, and people want to participate.

For the first time, we’re seeing people staying in communities that they would have otherwise left. I look at southwestern Ontario and the extraordinary work that our farmers are doing, the greenhouse growers in that community. They need housing to support what is an incredibly important part of our economy. The tourism industry, responsible for billions of dollars of economic activity—all very important and part of the reason why people want to come to the province of Ontario.

So at its heart, Madam Speaker, this is another step in the way of eliminating obstacles to building more homes across the province of Ontario. It’s not the final step; let me be very, very clear on that. It is not the final step, just like none of the other bills that we’ve presented have been the final step. It is another step. There will be more to come.

But I can tell you this, Madam Speaker, that unlike the opposition, who were in government for 15 years, we will not let the people of the province of Ontario down. We will meet our goals, we will build 1.5 million homes and we will ensure that the next generations of Ontarians, those who are living in their parents’ basements right now, have the opportunity to realize their Ontario and Canadian dream, like so many generations did before.

With that, I will yield the floor to the associate minister.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I recognize the Associate Minister of Housing.

Hon. Rob Flack: Thank you, Speaker. It truly is an honour to stand before you today, not only as the Associate Minister of Housing, but as a proud representative of Elgin–Middlesex–London, which I will speak about a little bit later on in my talk.

Let’s not mince words, Speaker: Ontario is facing a housing crisis the likes of which we have never seen. It isn’t just a headline. It’s the talk at dinner tables. It’s the talk at coffee shops, on soccer fields and in hockey arenas. It’s real, and it’s hitting our neighbours, our friends and our families very hard. But here’s the thing: We’re Ontarians and we face challenges head-on. We will face this one and win the day.

For too long, previous governments have been content with mere discussions, debates and deliberations. Under the steadfast leadership of Premier Ford and now Minister Calandra, we’re not just talking, we’re taking action. Our goal—yes, Speaker—1.5 million homes by 2031. We’re cutting through bureaucracy and red tape—the minister below—to get the shovels in the ground and get homes built faster.

While others are content with endless consultations and studies, which we seem to do as governments, we’ve been on the ground. We’ve been listening to the real concerns of Ontarians. We’ve taken their feedback and turned it into actionable policies, proving that we’re a government that acts and listens.

Everywhere I go, I hear the same story, and I think everyone here does as well: Families are priced out of their neighbourhoods, young couples delaying dreams because they can’t afford a home, seniors worried about rising rents. In fact, in my own hometown of Dorchester, Ontario, I talked to a number of people, a number of friends, a number of seniors who own a home, who have lived there for many years, raised their family. They want to downsize, but they can’t. Why?

Because there isn’t inventory in the community that they live, that they want to stay living in, that they can move into—a smaller, more price-sensitive home so they can take part of the equity of their home and live a comfortable retirement. We need to change that. The problem here, Speaker, is supply, and we will change that supply.

And while some might wring their hands and offer platitudes, we’ve set an ambitious goal: 1.5 million homes. We’ve got to keep keeping the goal right in front of us, and we’re going to hit it. Contrast this to previous governments who were content with mere discussions and debates—I keep saying it because that’s what I’ve heard—leading to inaction as they’ve watched the crisis deepen, offering little more than band-aid solutions. We need more than that. We’re different. We’re here to build a stronger Ontario. We’re going to get it done, and that’s exactly what we’re in the process of doing.

Our government recognizes that housing is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s the foundation of our communities, of our families and of our future. While others may be content with inaction, we’re committed to making real change. The opposition often speaks of the need for change, as do we. But it is our government that has been at the forefront, pioneering innovative solutions and driving real progress in the housing sector. At every step of the way, we hear, “No.” We’re going to fight that, and we’re going to say, “Yes,” and get these houses built.

Since 2019, we’ve rolled out four housing supply action plans. Guess what, Speaker? They’re working. Don’t take my word for it; let the results speak for themselves. Because it’s results that count: nearly 100,000 homes in 2021 and another 100,000 in 2022. That’s the most in almost 30 years. We’re seeing results.

While other provinces are seeing a dip in housing starts this year, in 2023, Ontario is bucking the trend. Our starts this year are on the rise, but we’re not resting on our laurels. There is obviously much more work to do. While previous governments saw challenges, we see opportunities, and every disadvantage creates an opportunity. While they were bogged down in bureaucracy, we’ve been laser-focused on solutions. Our track record speaks volumes about our commitment to addressing this housing crisis head-on. We’ve not only set ambitious targets, but we’ve consistently worked toward achieving each and every one of them.

We’re launching the Building Faster Fund, as announced at AMO. This isn’t just some fancy name; it’s real money to help municipalities get their homes built. Think of it as a turbo boost to municipalities, giving them the resources they need to build homes faster, partnering with their community home builders.

The job is not done, Speaker. We’re not stopping there. We’re giving more power to the mayors: 21 more municipalities will get strong-mayor powers. They commit to our housing targets, and in return they get the tools to make things happen on the ground and in their backyards. This is about delivering more local solutions to achieve local challenges.

While the opposition often speaks of empowering municipalities, we’re the ones actually doing it. We’re not just providing funds; we’re providing the tools to get the job done, resources and the autonomy to make the decisions locally. Big government doesn’t always work. We need to empower our municipalities to get the job done in their local areas.

Previous governments have approached housing with a one-size-fits-all mentality. We recognize the diversity of our great province and understand that each municipality has its unique challenges and opportunities. Our approach is tailored, it’s flexible and, most importantly, it will be effective.

There are families in London, Ontario—I see the member from London West across—who, I think we all agree, have dreams of home ownership, but it’s priced right out of their range. With prices nearly doubling in the last five years in that community, that dream seems distant for so many. I’ll talk about my daughter, for instance. Many of her friends have that dream to buy a house in London; it just isn’t affordable. We have to not allow that dream to die. We have to fight hard for everyone’s daughters, for everyone’s sons, for everyone’s grandsons and granddaughters.

It’s not just buying. Rents have shot up by 90%. When our daughter moved home from Toronto to London, the rent she paid was almost the same as it was in Toronto. Having lived here only once in my life, in the last year—it was something I wasn’t sure I was going to do—but I couldn’t believe that the rent was almost the same as she was paying in Toronto. It’s supply. It’s not working. We have to change it.

While members of the opposition might be content with pointing fingers and laying blame, we’re really rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. The Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act is our blueprint for change. It’s our commitment to making housing affordable and accessible. That’s important, Speaker.

For years, previous governments have been content with short-term solutions, and we’re looking at the long game here. We need to be proactive. We’re changing that narrative. We’re putting forward comprehensive, long-term strategies that will address the root causes of this housing crisis—again, in my lifetime at least, the likes of which we’ve never seen.

Our approach is holistic, Speaker. We’re not just looking at housing prices; we’re looking at the entire housing ecosystem. From developers to renters, from urban centres to rural towns and villages, we’re ensuring that every Ontarian has a fair shot at some point of owning their own home. We’re going to roll up our sleeves, diving deep into the complexities of the housing market and crafting policies that make a tangible difference.

We’re not just about building homes; we’re about building communities because, really, that’s what housing is all about: places where families can grow, where children can play safely and where seniors can live with dignity. This holistic approach sets us apart from previous administrations that often missed the forest for the trees.

While I totally believe in infill—go in and go up; I totally believe in that where we can—I still believe we have to keep the dream of home ownership, where people can raise their family and have a dream of a backyard, a fence, a sandbox where their kids can play, because I think it’s wrong just to think everyone can live in towers in big large cities in this province. That dream has to stay alive.

Our government understands that housing affordability isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about the quality of life, the dreams of our youth and the security of our seniors. We’ve introduced the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act and, if passed, it will make it less expensive and easier to build affordable homes. This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about helping Ontarians find a home based on their household income, and this is an important part of this legislation.

We’re proposing to redefine what “affordable” means. It’s not just about market rates; it’s about what people can genuinely afford on their income. This approach reflects the ability of local households to pay for housing and recognizes the diversity of housing markets in every municipality and every community across this province.

Now, let’s talk for a minute about St. Thomas. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing cited me to talk about it, and that is what I will do. The city of St. Thomas is on the cusp of a transformative moment. We spoke here last year—or last spring and last winter—about PowerCo and the Volkswagen Group, which have chosen St. Thomas to build a large-scale electric-vehicle-battery-cell manufacturing facility. In fact, Speaker, it will be the largest in the world. We’re incredibly supportive of this historic investment to build an EV-battery-cell manufacturing facility right in St. Thomas.

But this isn’t just about batteries, Speaker. It’s about jobs, and thousands of them. Think about it: 3,000 direct jobs are going to be employed right at that plant—3,000. But the best part of the story is that there are going to be 30,000 jobs outside in tertiary jobs supporting through the supply chain of this facility. And those aren’t just going to be in St. Thomas and Elgin county. They’re going to be spread out throughout this province.

From the Ring of Fire right down to Windsor, we have a province that’s on the cusp of great economic growth, and as the minister spoke earlier, what do we needed to do to complement that growth? We need to make sure that people coming to our communities, coming to our province, coming to work and live and raise their families have a home over their head.

We are also looking at efficiencies at the municipal level. We’re engaging with municipalities to ensure they can benefit from provincial supply chain programs and strategies led by Supply Ontario. And to further support housing, we’re consulting on regulatory changes to streamline hearings and speed up decisions at the Ontario Land Tribunal.

We’re not just thinking about the present, Speaker; we’re planning for the future—a future where Ontario is a global leader in innovation and sustainable housing development. The More Homes Built Faster Act was a step in the right direction. We’ve listened to the people, and we’re refining our approach. We’re incorporating income factors into the definition of affordable residential units. This is about making sure homes are genuinely affordable for Ontarians. We’ve engaged with stakeholders, received hundreds of comments and established a technical advisory table system. We’ve listened; we’re acting.

We’ve been listening. We’ve heard these stories, the struggles and the hopes. We’re redefining “affordable.” Again, it’s not just about market prices; it’s about real people and real incomes. “Affordable” shouldn’t just be a buzzword. It should mean homes that real Ontarians can afford.

Again, I’ll share an example. A couple of weeks ago. I was in Toronto with my wife. We were having dinner, and a bright young woman was serving us, doing a great job. We got speaking, and she told me about where she was living. She was renting a room in a two-bedroom apartment. As we talked about housing, she broke down and cried. It was an emotional moment.

Her tears were really about not being able to ever afford to buy a home, and consequently—what I think bothered her the most, and my wife was crying along with her—was that she said, “I’ve given up the dream of having a family because I can’t afford to raise them in a proper way.” That’s not only wrong, Speaker; it needs to be corrected, and this bill and our actions in this government is going to do our best to make sure that her dream can come true. We have a duty to change this around.

For those wondering about the 25-year affordability period, we’ve got it covered. Home builders will need to enter into an agreement with municipalities to ensure that these units remain affordable. This, again, is about long-term solutions, not about short-term fixes.

We’re going to slash red tape. We’ve been doing that. We’re proposing discounts and exemptions on development-related fees for homes, so they can become truly affordable. This is more about policy and about reigniting the dream of home ownership for everyone who lives in this province. We’re not just redefining terms; we’re reshaping the housing landscape in Ontario. We’re making bold changes, informed by real feedback from the people of this province.

Last year, we took a bold step with the More Homes Built Faster Act. We introduced exemptions from municipal charges for affordable homes. We’re building on that foundation, ensuring that “affordable,” again, isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a reality. We promised exemptions on affordable homes, and this we will deliver.

Our approach is comprehensive. We’re looking at every aspect of the housing sector, identifying bottlenecks and addressing them head-on. We’re not just focused on the supply side, although it’s important; we’re also addressing demand, ensuring that every Ontarian can find a home that fits their budget. Again, whether you’re renting a home or whether you’re trying to buy a home or stay in your home, we have to cater to every segment in the market.

We’ve been on the ground, listening to Ontarians. We’ve consulted far and wide. Over 300 comments from the people of this great province have been delivered, and we’re acting on them. We’ve heard from the experts, as well, from every corner of this industry, and the message is clear, Speaker: We need homes that are both affordable and attainable, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.

We’ve been on the ground, listening to Ontarians. We’ve consulted far and wide. And we’re adjusting our definition of affordable housing based on real feedback. And we’re not just stopping at affordable: Beyond affordable, we’re focused on “attainable.” Every Ontarian, whether a teacher, a nurse, a farmer or a factory worker, should have a shot at owning their own property, owning their own home. We’re in the early stages of an affordable housing program we’re talking about here today and we’re in the early stages of an attainable housing program. Speaker, I promise you this: It’s going to be a game-changer when completed, and I’m excited about the potential that it holds.

Remember, this just isn’t about bricks and mortar; it’s about aspirations. It’s about the promise of a dream come true. We’re laying the foundation for a future where every Ontarian can dream to own a home. We have to make that dream come true, and I know I share with everyone in this House and our government that it has to come true for everyone. This is not a partisan event. This really is a pan-Ontario problem that we have to solve together.

So we’ve listened, we’ve heard the concerns, and let us be clear: We’re going to keep cutting red tape, we’re going to keep reducing costs and we’re going to make it more affordable for our community home builders to build housing. So we’re calling on everyone—governments, municipalities, and again, community home builders, our private sector—to step up and help get the job done.

Again, let’s not be too partisan, but while the opposition may constantly raise doubts, we’re raising roofs. We’re raising roofs—not just for certain people, but for seniors. We’re raising roofs for first-time homebuyers. We’re going to raise roofs for the newcomers. We’re going to raise roofs for students and those who need supportive housing. So, Speaker, we’re not just talking, we’re delivering, and we’re doing it with a sense of urgency and commitment that was sorely lacking in previous administrations.

We’re also thrilled about the federal government’s decision to remove the GST from purpose-built rentals. The minister, earlier, spoke to this, the purpose-built rental housing. This is a game-changer, again, and we will work with Ottawa to ensure Ontario’s portion of the HST is removed as soon as possible. We’re not just addressing concerns; we’re providing solutions—solutions that are grounded in reality, informed by experts and driven by the need of all the people in this province.

Serving as Associate Minister of Housing isn’t just a role. I see it as a responsibility, as I know everyone does in this government. We’re here to solve the housing crisis and ensure every Ontarian has a roof over their head. The Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act is our roadmap. With it, we’re one step closer to our ambitious goal of 1.5 million homes by 2031. With the support of this Legislature, we’re going to make this vision a reality.

We are committed to building a brighter and more prosperous Ontario for all, an Ontario where every family can have a place to call home, where every child can grow up in a safe and nurturing environment and where every senior can retire with dignity and security. Together, we will build a brighter, more prosperous Ontario for all, an Ontario that leads by example, that sets the gold standard for housing policy and that puts the needs of its people first.

To conclude, again I want to emphasize, this is a great bill, a great piece of legislation coming forward. It complements the other pieces of legislation we brought forward last year, and I know that when the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing speaks, he will complement both the words and the policies that the minister and myself have said. To conclude, I believe this is bold, innovative legislation that will help build a pathway to housing stability and home ownership.

Again, I’ll repeat that: This is bold, innovative legislation that will help build a pathway to housing stability and home ownership. With that, Speaker, I am now honoured to hand it over to the member from Perth–Wellington, our dedicated parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you. I recognize the member for Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you, Speaker, and good morning. Thank you to the associate minister and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for their remarks on Bill 134. I particularly like the associate minister’s terminology of raising the roof. I think we need to do that more across Ontario in getting homes built.

It’s an honour to share the government’s time today as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and speak to the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act. This is an important piece of legislation. If passed, it would complement other measures our government has put in place to help increase housing supply across the province—four housing supply bills already and I know we’re moving forward with the next one as well in our ministry.

Today’s proposed changes are meant to support building more affordable homes in Ontario, helping to make it easier for communities to build the housing that Ontario desperately needs, as the minister alluded to in his remarks, and the associate minister as well.

The proposed changes are also meant to support municipalities as they attract and create jobs. As my colleagues Minister Calandra and Associate Minister Flack have already spoken about this morning, the proposed measures demonstrate our government’s strong commitment to working closely with our municipal partners. We’re committed to making life better for everyone in Ontario, no matter where they live, whether it’s in downtown Toronto, in downtown Listowel or up in Thunder Bay. We are supporting our municipalities with the tools they need to build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031—at least.

I know our government has set that goal and I know all opposition parties in the last election agreed to meeting that goal of 1.5 million, but it’s a minimum, in my view, that we need to meet. I know our government will strive to do more.

I’m proud be part of this government that is taking historic action to tackle the housing supply crisis and build more homes Ontarians need. Our government understands the difficulties Ontarians are facing when it comes to housing, and our housing supply action plans have made great progress. As the minister alluded to in his remarks, we’re seeing historic highs with new homes built but also with purpose-built rentals—historic highs in 30 years, I believe.

Our government understands the difficulties Ontarians are facing when it comes to housing and our housing supply plans have made great progress in addressing these challenges. But obviously there is more that can be done. The challenges and measures proposed through the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act are forward-looking. They would help communities meet their housing needs today and well into the future.

Our government recognizes the growth demands being placed on large and fast-growing municipalities in Ontario. For example, the greater Toronto area alone is expected to grow by 2.9 million people by 2046. That is not all that far away in the grand scheme of things. This means that within the next 23 years, we’ll need homes to accommodate an additional 2.9 million people just in the greater Toronto area, let alone any other growth down in Windsor or up in Ottawa. So there is a massive need, as demonstrated by the record number of people coming to our province.

As the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing alluded to, it is great to see so many people across Canada and from around the world coming to Ontario because of our government’s work in attracting good-paying jobs and retaining those jobs in Ontario.

Interjections.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you.

It’s more than just a housing issue; it’s an economic problem that can affect the entire province and even the entire country, Speaker. Ontario is the economic engine, and because of our government, it’s becoming an even stronger economic engine of Canada. To meet this growing demand and ensure we attract these companies and retain these companies, we need workers. Ontario requires workers. I hear this in my riding all the time. A company wants to come to Perth–Wellington, either expand or set up a new facility, and usually, their second question is, “Do you have workers?”

These workers obviously require a place to live. Our government is supporting our municipalities and helps make it easier to attract and create more jobs all across the province. However, we need to ensure that our communities have the housing they need to support the workforce of tomorrow.

Speaker, our government is a top-tier destination for investment and strategic business growth, and our government is committed to supporting and growing the province’s workforce. Ontario is ready to help with the creation of good-paying jobs in our communities and help rebuild our economy, and we’re taking concrete action to attract jobs and investment. The proposed changes in the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act are meant to further support municipalities as they work to attract and create good jobs.

A critical factor in securing new investment opportunities is having suitable industrial sites ready for companies to build on. In November 2019, Ontario launched the Job Site Challenge to create an inventory of investment-ready mega sites. It was designed to attract large-scale, advanced manufacturing investments that have the potential to create hundreds of new jobs across the province, Speaker. It’s great to see a government that’s finally focused on retaining and attracting these advanced manufacturing jobs in Ontario.

Unfortunately, under the former Liberal government, supported by the NDP, we lost 3,000 advanced manufacturing jobs, some from my own riding. So it’s great to hear when we have attracted 70,000 new jobs since 2018, 40,000 of those jobs in the manufacturing sector alone. I know our Minister of Economic Development continues to work with our Premier to attract even more of those jobs to our province.

As part of this initiative, municipalities, economic development agencies and industry property owners have put forward large tracts of land, between 500 to 1,500 acres, that would support large-scale manufacturing operations. A site in St. Thomas and Central Elgin was identified early on—approximately 1,500 acres—as one of the most investment-ready mega sites in Ontario and, I would argue, Canada, at the time. However, with the land divided between two municipalities with different permitting requirements, we recognized that potential investors could face red tape and delays from unnecessary disruption.

This is why our government took immediate action and decisive action and introduced legislation to adjust the municipal boundaries so the sites identified fully resided in the city of St. Thomas. This change was meant to help speed up the construction timelines and ensure the site was truly shovel-ready for potential investment. Speaker, this was a collaborative approach across government with our municipal partners to cut red tape and ensure the benefits of economic growth are enjoyed across the province. It was the right thing to do.

Soon after we made this change, the Volkswagen Group, Europe’s largest automaker, announced its subsidiary PowerCo SE would establish an electric vehicle battery cell manufacturing facility in St. Thomas, Ontario.

Selecting St. Thomas as the location to build the company’s first overseas battery cell plant was a major vote of confidence in Canada and Ontario. I know we outbid a lot of American states, and they’re still scratching their heads on how Ontario was able to attract and retain this investment, Speaker. It speaks—

Interjection: Fedeli factor.

Mr. Matthew Rae: The Fedeli factor, yes. They’re going to copyright that.

It is our shared work with our federal colleagues and the province to ensure that we’re a global leader in the electric vehicle supply chain. It’s a testament to Ontario’s competitive business environment, which our government has helped create, as alluded to by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, when we’re cutting red tape, and we continue to cut red tape under the great leadership of our Premier and our Minister of Red Tape Reduction.

This investment was welcomed by many local business leaders for the dramatic and positive impact it will have on the community. As the associate minister alluded to, it will not only just benefit Elgin county and St. Thomas and London; it will actually benefit all of Ontario. I know, in particular, when this site was announced—the weekend after, I remember, I was at a couple of community events in my riding, and I heard auto dealers saying, “This is great news, because we’ll sell those cars at our auto dealerships.” So it’s great to see the entire supply chain, as the Associate Minister of Housing alluded to, will benefit from this investment, not just in St. Thomas but across Ontario.

Volkswagen Group and PowerCo SE’s historic investment to build an electric vehicle battery cell manufacturing facility in St. Thomas will create thousands of jobs. This manufacturing facility will be the largest of its kind in Canada, and it has the potential to become one of the largest electric vehicle battery plants in the world. The plant will have six production lines and make enough batteries for one million cars every year. What’s more, Volkswagen Group has plans to make 25 new electric vehicle models in the coming decades, and most of those batteries will come from St. Thomas.

The plant is expected, as the associate minister alluded to, to employ up to 3,000 people and create thousands of spin-off jobs across Ontario. It is estimated that it could be worth as much as $200 billion to the Canadian economy over the coming decade—$200 billion, Speaker. This investment represents the largest auto investment in our province’s history, and it’s a big win for the people of Ontario, the people of St. Thomas and all the surrounding communities.

Volkswagen Group’s historic investment will strengthen Ontario’s end-to-end electric vehicle supply chain and create more good-paying jobs for workers in St. Thomas and across the province. This is an example—one of many—of how our government continues to work to create the right conditions for businesses and workers to succeed now and into the future. We’re revitalizing Ontario’s auto sector and making Ontario a powerhouse in North America. The cars of the future will be made in Ontario from start to finish, from the minerals in northern Ontario to the battery cells in St. Thomas, and the auto dealers in my riding of Perth–Wellington will sell them.

Speaker, our government wants to help St. Thomas move forward with this investment which will significantly strengthen the local economy and Ontario’s economy. Through the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act, Ontario is proposing changes to help support this investment. The agreement was negotiated in partnership with the city of St. Thomas and provides for the city to grant assistance as part of the PowerCo SE project. However, the current rules against municipalities providing financial assistance to any industrial or commercial enterprise limit the city of St. Thomas from providing some assistance outlined in the agreement.

The changes we’re proposing through the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act would give the city of St. Thomas the authority to provide PowerCo SE municipal-based incentives that were negotiated in partnership with the municipality. This new authority would be restricted to St. Thomas only. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing would provide the regulation-making authority to impose restrictions, limits and other conditions as needed on the new authority. In addition, the province will be consulting on the proposed changes through a public posting on the Regulatory Registry of Ontario for a 30-day period.

Creating and supporting more shovel-ready mega sites like St. Thomas will help Ontario remain competitive as the province competes for major global investments. I know our Minister of Economic Development continues to travel the world, selling the great story we have in Ontario and attract more investments to Ontario, and I know we will have more good news in the months and years ahead.

These proposed changes represent our government’s efforts to attract new investments and create more good-paying jobs and strengthen the economy. To complement the legislative proposals in the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act, our government will also be consulting on other changes that can be made to help get more affordable housing built in Ontario and increase municipal efficiencies.

We’re committed to working closely with our municipal partners to ensure that they have the right tools and processes in place so they can build at least 1.5 million new homes by 2031. Our government will be consulting on proposed regulatory changes as part of the ongoing strategy to streamline hearings and speed up decisions at the Ontario Land Tribunal.

The Ontario Land Tribunal may seem like some mysterious committee that is set up that most people wouldn’t really understand the impact of. I have a great example from my riding in Perth–Wellington on the delays and inefficiencies—which we are consulting on how we can streamline and decrease—and how this prevented homes from being built. There was a proposed development in my community—the town I actually live in, in the riding, in Mitchell—for, as the associate minister mentioned, seniors looking to move out of their current homes into a smaller unit, usually two-bedroom, retirement-type living.

One of the proposed developments was rather modest for Mitchell: four storeys tall—I know. Very small for Toronto standards, but very big for Mitchell standards. But someone took them to the Ontario Land Tribunal—NIMBYs. We’ll just say what it is: It’s NIMBYs. They took them to the Ontario Land Tribunal and they delayed the project for years.

The community builder now says this delay added an extra million dollars to the project, and the project hasn’t broken ground. So those individuals want to stay in their community because their children and grandchildren live in the community, but they can’t because they don’t have anywhere they want to downsize to. They’re over-housed, as it’s sometimes referred to.

These delays prevented this apartment building from being built, which I live down the street from. I’ve been at many public events and tell people I’m 100% in favour of this, even though I know it will increase traffic a little, that there will be more people. But that’s great to see: more homes being built in our rural communities. And these individuals, then, would leave their houses, and those houses would be available for families.

But that hasn’t happened, Speaker, because of these delays at the Ontario Land Tribunal, so this government is taking action to streamline the processes and reduce those delays. Helping resolve land use planning difficulties and disputes faster will help municipalities build priority projects quicker, including housing, as I mentioned. Supply Ontario, as well, will also be engaging and working with municipalities to look at ways to increase procurement collaboration with municipalities to allow cost savings and efficiencies by both levels of government.

To support building more homes, our government will be asking for feedback on proposed regulatory changes aimed at streamlining hearings and expediting the OLT, the Ontario Land Tribunal, as I alluded to. It is an independent adjudicative tribunal and an important piece of the municipal planning and housing framework here in Ontario. However, when people are unable to resolve their differences on land use planning issues or have disputes with their municipal councils that can’t be settled, the OLT provides a forum to resolve those disputes.

We need to improve the process, though, Speaker, which will help resolve land use disputes faster, will help minimize delays and will help get more homes built in communities across Ontario. Too many people in Ontario are struggling to find an affordable home and this proposal supports our government’s efforts to provide more certainty for municipalities and make it cheaper and easier to build affordable homes across the province.

To further streamline hearings and speed up decisions at the OLT, Ontario is consulting on and developing proposed regulations to set service standards and to prioritize resolution of certain cases, including cases that would create more housing. Consultations, for those who are watching at home, will begin this fall. This contributes to the broader goal of supporting strong, healthy communities with the public interest at heart. It also expands the important work that is already under way to improve our processes.

Ontario has made investments to help the OLT to streamline processes, improve customer service and resolve land use planning disputes more quickly. Some of these investments were made to address key recommendations in the Housing Affordability Task Force report to increase resources to the OLT so homes can be built faster. We know that principled and timely resolutions play an important role in the province’s housing supply. We will not let red tape, NIMBYs or long wait times delay critical projects in our communities, including much-needed housing.

We’ll also be engaging and working with municipalities to ensure they can benefit from provincial supply chain programs and strategies, led by Supply Ontario. A classic example I’ve actually heard from my municipality, Speaker, is the province purchases so much paper in a year: Can we get on that to reduce the cost to municipalities? Bulk purchasing, whether it’s paper, whether it’s office supplies, whether it’s—also construction material, potentially, as well.

We’re going to consult on a variety of things that Supply Ontario oversees and how we can leverage that to support procurement across the Ontario public service and the broader public sector. It works to bring cohesion to the public sector supply chain by embracing innovation and leveraging diverse partnerships and relationships with suppliers. This can help harness Ontario’s buying power to enable economic development, province-wide resiliency and the value for Ontarians.

There is only one taxpayer at the end of the day, and I know our municipal partners always appreciate our provincial government is willing to work with them, seeing how we can help reduce costs and create more efficiencies within the way we do business at a provincial and municipal level. I know we will be consulting with them very heavily. And I know it really speaks to the theme that our government really focuses on a lot: local empowerment, as the Associate Minister of Housing mentioned.

Unfortunately, under the former Liberal government—supported by the NDP, again—they didn’t believe in local empowerment. They believed in imposing, for example, wind turbines on communities that didn’t want them; they believed in not considering municipal feedback. This government, I’m proud to say, listens to our municipal partners, supports our municipal partners and will continue to do so as we aim for our goal of building 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

Speaker, as you can see, our proposed measure will help supporting more affordable homes in Ontario, while also supporting our municipalities as they work to attract and create good jobs all throughout Ontario. The proposed changes and measures my colleagues and I described this morning would also support earlier measures made through the government’s housing supply action plans.

Speaker, I’m one of the younger members of this place currently. I know I hear often from my colleagues that they want to own a home. They want to be able to call a place their own. This government will continue to stand with those new Canadians, those young Canadians and those seniors looking to downsize, to ensure we get homes built in communities across Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): We have time for questions.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity. A question for the government: You’ve talked about this bill; you’ve talked about your housing plans. Can you tell us what percentage of the homes you expect to be built will be targeted to those in the bottom half of income earners and what percentage of their after-tax income you expect they will be spending on these homes?

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): The Associate Minister of Housing.

Hon. Rob Flack: In the fullness of debate, we will come up with key targets, but I can say that when we look at—

Mr. Peter Tabuns: You’ve got to be kidding.

Hon. Rob Flack: Speaker, 1.5 million homes is what we are targeted to build over the next 10 years. We’re going to achieve that target. We’re well on our way: record rentals in the last two years; more support for supportive housing. This job is getting done and we will take no lessons from the members opposite, because nothing—nothing—while they supported the Liberal government.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): The member for Thornhill for the next question.

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you for the very commented discussions we’re about to have. I appreciate everyone’s contribution in this, and I appreciate what just happened and transpired.

I think we can all agree that there is no silver bullet to address Ontario’s critically low housing supply. I was really pleased to hear the minister talk about building long-term-care homes in small communities, so people can live and stay in the communities that they grew to love and their families can continue to see them.

But going back to the silver bullet, this question is addressed to the Associate Minister of Housing: We all have to work closely with our federal and municipal partners, as well as with the private sector, for not-for-profits across Ontario, to realize our shared goals, to making sure Ontarians find homes, and meet their needs and budget.

Can the member please expand on how this legislation, if passed, will encourage our not-for-profit sector and private sector partners to continue investing in Ontario, and building the affordable homes Ontario needs and deserves?

Hon. Rob Flack: To the member opposite’s question: I am very pleased with the progress we’ve been making with supportive housing. Since I’ve been minister, I have literally made a number of announcements in support of communities that got new supportive housing: Kitchener, Waterloo, London, St. Thomas. Just last week, I was in St. Thomas, where we announced the Station, where we gave $1.2 million in operational funding, thanks to the Ministry of Health—45 new units.

This legislation will complement the acts we’ve already put in place.

Again, I would point out that we’ve increased supportive housing funding and homelessness funding over the last year by $700 million, up $200 million compared to the year before. Actions speak louder than words. We’re getting it done, and this act will help complement further pacing, further improvements, further results that count for the people of this province.

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

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I want to focus on

schedule 2, regarding the new Volkswagen EV battery factory. Back on September 21, Caldwell First Nation had some issues with this government. I’m quoting this statement that they made—that Caldwell First Nation, along with the Chiefs of Ontario, have taken extraordinary steps in writing numerous letters to Premier Ford urging him to establish real business partnerships in southwestern Ontario, rather than treating us as “cardboard cut outs” at media events. These appeals reflect the growing concern and consensus among First Nations communities that a change in Ontario ministerial leadership is essential in restoring trust and advancing meaningful—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Question?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: How are you going to work with First Nations in partnership, rather than divide and conquer?

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): The member for Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you to my colleague for the very important question. I know our Minister of Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs continues to consult with Indigenous peoples across Ontario on a variety of different issues and projects and I know we’ll continue to do so. We attract, as I alluded to in my remarks, more and more economic growth and we want to ensure that all Ontarians, no matter where they live, or for how long they have called this place home, benefit from that.

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

Mr. Robert Bailey: My question is to the member from Perth–Wellington. I enjoyed all the debate this morning, from both the minister and the associate minister as well.

To build this affordable housing and to help with immigration that’s coming to Ontario, can you explain why we are moving so fast on this bill that we’ve introduced today?

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you to the great member from Sarnia–Lambton for the very important question. I know both of our communities are growing immensely, which is great to see.

As I mentioned in my remarks, when new jobs and new employers come to my community one of the first questions they ask is, do you have the workers? Whether it’s in our oil and gas industry or whether it’s in our agricultural industry, I know we’re going to continue to table housing supply action plan bills because we know we need to get more homes built quickly across Ontario because it’s for our future, it’s for our future children, it’s for our future grandchildren to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity that all of us in this place have had that dream of home ownership.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Associate Minister of Housing. Speaker, like all Ontarians, post-secondary students have been struggling in particular with the impact of the government’s failure to tackle the housing crisis. We’ve heard of students paying thousands of dollars to rent a bed in a crowded rooming house. We’ve heard of students who have been encamped outside—a post-secondary student. We’re also hearing that young people are more discouraged than ever about their prospects of being able to afford a home.

My question is, given that Ontario funds post-secondary education at the lowest across Canada, what is this government doing to enable post-secondary institutions to build the housing that students so desperately need?

Hon. Rob Flack: I think actions speak louder than words and if you take a look at 15,000 new purpose-built rentals, up 7.5% year over year, we are getting the job done. However, that does not mean there isn’t more to do. We recognize the need for more rentals in this province. That is exactly why the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act is being tabled in this House. Home ownership, rentals as well, are a key part of this legislation. I would say that, when you take a look at our students at the universities and colleges across this province, there are many opportunities to get shovels in the ground faster.

Again, this legislation is going to accelerate, help complement and accelerate actions there. I can also say compassionately—and I know we share the same community in many respects—it’s going to happen in London. There are opportunities there. We just need to get our municipal partners and community home builders getting it done.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you. We’ll have to move to the next question.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: You know, the Minister of Housing was talking about how his family emigrated here from Italy. My family emigrated here from Italy, and to be honest, our towns are next door to each other in Italy. But my family came here in 1950 and my father ended up buying a house in 1953 in Port Credit. We’ve been living there for 70 years; he paid $14,000 back then. My two sons—one is becoming a CPA and the other is becoming an engineer. They want to live in the riding their great-grandfather, grandfather and father have lived in, and they cannot afford it. How will this bill help build more affordable housing for our future and our immigrants that are coming into this country?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Thank you very much to the member for the question. The answer is simple: It is another in a series of bills that we’ve put forward to eliminate red tape and remove obstacles. The member is absolutely correct; it was the bargain that people made when they came to this country: You work hard, play by the rules and you will have the opportunity to succeed. But after 15 years of Liberal and NDP mismanagement of the economy, they’ve forced us into a housing crisis. We are untangling that mess.

We have one more mess to untangle, and that’s the federal government’s refusal to eliminate the carbon tax and to help us remove obstacles federally so we can get not only this crisis resolved in Ontario, but across Canada.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you. We don’t have time for another question.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

World Friendship Year

Mr. Deepak Anand: Madam Speaker, friendship is the cornerstone of human connection. It brings the best of humans to society and helps to bring relationships we cherish.

The Jain Society of Toronto, a local community organization with many members from Mississauga–Malton, is serving the community with the Jain words “Maitri Bhavna,” which means to be a friend to everyone in the universe.

This morning, the members of JSOT organized the launch of World Friendship Year on the auspicious occasion of the 2550th Nirvana Utsav of Bhagwan Mahavir at the Legislative Assembly under the leadership of His Holiness Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni Ji, a versatile thinker, poet, social reformer, writer, world peace ambassador and founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti.

His resounding spirit of friendship reminds us of the value of working together, supporting each other, ensuring no one is left behind.

Madam Speaker, Mahavir Swami once said, “In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.”

Acharya Ji’s lifetime dedication to promoting religious tolerance and universal value is commendable. I would like to thank him for his tireless efforts, selfless service and unwavering dedication to the global community, inspiring everyone. My best wishes as you embark on your journey in promoting friendship. Let’s all work together and build a better world, including a stronger Ontario. Jai Jinendra.

Housing

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Housing is more than just a structure; it’s the very foundation for families. When we fail to provide it, it reverberates and disrupts our collective communities and ideals. While private development is vital, building houses remains a paramount public responsibility. It’s about championing purpose-built houses. A balanced approach is essential, yet our current provincial strategy leans heavily on private incentives, sidelining public housing investments.

This week, as we discuss housing affordability, we must remember, if Ontario’s strategy primarily incentivizes private developers to build affordable housing, leaving municipalities to shoulder the burden, we’re missing the mark. In Niagara alone, the wait-list for affordable housing spans two decades.

Municipalities still feel the weight of transferring social housing funding responsibilities by Mike Harris.

Premier Ford, the time has come to honor your commitment to make municipalities whole for the development charges. Ontario has the potential to do more. We need a comprehensive governance framework and provincial funding to address the housing crisis. It is critical we bolster the construction of non-market homes, particularly for young families and low-income households.

We must champion a grant-based approach for the non-profit and co-op sectors, support community land trusts and devise a robust rental housing strategy. If we are not building non-market housing, we risk not doing enough. Let’s refine Ontario’s approach and build a housing future that services all Ontarians.

Muslim community

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members’ statements? The member for—Brampton North.

Mr. Graham McGregor: Thank you, Speaker—as if you don’t know who I am.

Es salaam aleikum. It’s my honour to stand today and recognize as many as a hundred Muslim leaders representing major community organizations across the province, including in my riding of Brampton North. These organizations do fantastic work to promote the voice of every single Muslim-Canadian in Brampton and in Canada as a whole. I thank them immensely for the service they provide to our country.

The Muslim community is strong and proud. I see it every day in my riding of Brampton North. Over the last number of decades, Canada, specifically Ontario, has been so fortunate to have new generations of Muslims come to Ontario and call it home. With them, they bring a tradition of hard work, respect and commitment to standing up for their neighbours.

Canada is home to over 1.9 million Muslims, and, mashallah, there are about a million living right here in Ontario. I want to assure our entire Muslim community that whether your name is Jameel or John, Mark or Mohammed; whether you pray on Friday, Sunday or not at all; our government has your back. We will ensure that you can safely work, succeed, practise and live your faith.

I want to thank the leaders who took the time to be here today, and I encourage all members to join the reception later today at 5:30 p.m. in the dinning room.

Muslim community

Ms. Peggy Sattler: As MPP for London West and on behalf of the official opposition, I am honoured to welcome the National Council of Canadian Muslims to Queen’s Park today, representing some of the largest, most active, and engaged Muslim organizations in Ontario.

London is home to Ontario’s first purpose-built mosque, built in 1964. Our city has benefited enormously from the contributions and commitment of Muslim communities. Across the province, Muslims have been pivotal to our economic growth, collective well-being, and cultural vibrancy.

In June 2021, Londoners were shaken to our core by the senseless, hate-motivated attack that tragically took the lives of four members of our London family and left a child orphaned. As we follow the case through the courts, we are reliving the pain and trauma of that terrible day, while recognizing in particular how difficult the trial must be for our Muslim neighbours.

London experienced directly the reality and devastating consequences of Islamophobia, but we know that it is a reality in all parts of our province. With October’s recognition as Islamic Heritage Month, Ontarians have an opportunity to celebrate, to learn about, to educate and to reflect on Islam’s rich history, its long-standing traditions and its wonderful cultural diversity. This diversity is present in this chamber, in our ridings and throughout the province.

Today, let us recommit to standing together against Islamophobia in unity, solidarity and strength, and in unwavering support of our shared values of kindness, diversity and mutual understanding.

Riding of Markham–Unionville

Mr. Billy Pang: I rise today to share my summer experiences in the wonderful community of Markham–Unionville. Over the summer, I had the privilege of spending quality time in my riding. I connected with the incredible families that make up our vibrant constituency. I heard their diverse perspectives and listened to their stories. These conversations were invaluable in helping me better understand the unique needs and concerns of our community. We exchanged ideas. I am grateful for the openness and warmth with which I was received.

In addition to these visits, my team and I embarked on a mission to identify and celebrate the outstanding efforts of our residents in beautifying their homes. We introduced the landscaping award to recognize those who went above and beyond to enhance their properties. They spread joy and vibrancy throughout their neighbourhoods and fostered a sense of belonging within our community.

I was glad to present over 1,400 awards to deserving homes. Each award serves as a shining example of generosity and community spirit. These awardees have contributed significantly to making Markham–Unionville an even more beautiful and tightly knit place to live.

I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all those who welcomed me to their homes. I also thank those who dedicated their time to nominating their neighbours for the landscaping award.

Together, we are building a stronger and more connected community that we can all be proud to call home.

Climate change

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Good morning, Speaker. The Ford government’s record on the environment and fighting climate change is abysmal. This government broke the law when it comes to Ontarians’ environmental rights—and, of course, the greenbelt grab that threatened the destruction of thousands of acres of farmland and wetlands.

Ontario’s recent climate change impact assessment report identified the very imminent risk climate change poses to Ontarians’ health, livelihoods and property. This grim report was presented to the government in January but was quietly released seven months later with no announcement. Maybe they hoped we wouldn’t notice that this government does not have a climate change plan.

Now we learn through investigative reports that many of Ontario’s gas plants which were supposed to run only during peak periods are actually running almost 24 hours a day. And there are many more gas plants on the way.

While the entire world moves towards greener energy, this government is making things worse. Let’s not forget the cancelled electricity conservation programs that would have saved carbon emissions and saved consumers money.

Ontario hasn’t built any new wind or solar energy since Premier Doug Ford tore down wind farms and ripped EV chargers out of the ground.

The climate crisis is here. Instead of a government that is acting to protect us, we have Premier Doug Ford, who is focused on helping his friends get richer. This is a government with their head in the sand and their hands in the cookie jar, but we on this side of the House will continue to push for real leadership on climate change and the climate crisis.

Northway Wellness Centre

Mr. Ross Romano: I’m proud to share the news that the Northway Wellness Centre has officially opened in Sault Ste. Marie.

On September 19 earlier this year, I joined the team from Sault Area Hospital and many community partners at Northway to share with the public that the 20-bed residential withdrawal management facility centre would begin accepting patients on September 25.

Northway Wellness Centre is the home to the residential withdrawal management and safe beds program and will be offering services such as comprehensive assessments, medical support, counselling. They will be able to refer patients and families to all of the related services and offerings within our community.

The new facility will provide treatment options to people in our community who are suffering and their families by complementing the significant investments that have been made to build out-of-hospital services and numerous community wraparound supports and services that support vulnerable persons in crisis before they end up in a hospital. These supports are all critical and will help people to heal and to thrive.

Northway will be staffed by a mental health and addictions team including doctors, nurses and social workers.

I want to say a special thank you to the Ministry of Health and to Sault Area Hospital and all of the various community organisations and leaders for making this a reality and for bringing this incredible new facility into our community. It is going to help so many.

Housing

MPP Andrea Hazell: Mr. Speaker, I rise today because we need to address the housing crisis, and we must do it urgently, with partnerships across all sectors.

My riding, Scarborough–Guildwood, is at the forefront of the housing crisis, where 45% of residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The only way out of this mess is by building more housing, but while we need quantity, we also need quality. We can’t just keep sprawling outwards, and we shouldn’t develop the greenbelt. We need dense, complete communities, communities that have frequent, fast transit access, neighbourhoods that have enough schools to support the student population.

We need our cities to have an abundance of housing that is affordable, with rent control, so that residents aren’t driven away, so that they can spend their hard-earned money investing in their family’s future, communities that have jobs within them, not an hour commute away, and that sustain local business and the entrepreneurial sprit that radiates in Scarborough.

As a female entrepreneur, Mr. Speaker, I saw first-hand how important local business is to the spirit of the community. There are good projects that take it upon themselves to provide for this. And we need a government that is willing to prioritize this modern way of housing, not by building new sprawl or paving the greenbelt.

Dementia care

Mr. Lorne Coe: Dementia in its many forms is a critical health care issue that affects patients, families and caregivers in profound ways. In the region of Durham, there are over 4,000 residents with dementia. While there are many dementia care services and programs in place today, there’s still a lot of work to do. Consequently, Ontario Tech University and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences have launched the Advancement for Dementia Care Centre, a vital new community-based partnership aimed at uncovering solutions to improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers through innovation and research and deployment of new technologies.

Speaker, one ADCC example of accelerating care involves a “living lab” at Ontario Shores, where cutting-edge technologies can be adapted, implemented in real clinical settings and evaluated based on their practical application. This innovation will support patients’ psychosocial needs and behavioural challenges.

Clearly, the partnership between Ontario Tech and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences will positively impact the care of people living with dementia and their families living in Whitby and other parts of the region of Durham.

Vandalism of Jewish High Holy Days banners

Mrs. Robin Martin: Two weeks ago, members of the Jewish community in my riding of Eglinton–Lawrence and across Ontario observed Rosh Hashanah, the start of the new year according to Jewish teachings. I wish all who celebrated a blessed and pleasant new year.

Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holy Days. The following 10 days are days of repentance and culminate in Yom Kippur, also known as the day of atonement and considered the holiest day in Judaism. Through fasting, prayer and the repentance of sins, Jews make amends for sins committed against God or others.

Given the profound significance of these holidays, recent news that I’ve received is very concerning. Within my riding, banners advertising the High Holy Days for local shuls, including the Song Shul, Temple Sinai and Shaarei Shomayim, were vandalized or stolen from their Lawrence Plaza location. A fourth banner which did not mention the High Holy Days remained intact. They were replaced and then stolen again, but the fourth unrelated banner remained untouched again.

This vandalism targeting the Jewish community has no place in Ontario. Thankfully, B’nai Brith, who is always active, is aware of it and is taking action.

Our government, Mr. Speaker, remains committed to combatting anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred through initiatives such as the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant and mandatory Holocaust education in grade 6, starting this year.

We all need to do our part to promote tolerance, understanding and respect for all of our neighbours, no matter what their race or religion.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our members’ statements this morning. I’ll remind all members—not wanting to single anyone out—that the members’ statements are to be 90 seconds. That’s one minute and 30 seconds.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Today in the Speaker’s gallery, we have with us this year’s cohort of the Ontario Legislative Internship Program, or OLIP, as we know it. They are Razan Akiba, Milena Basciano, Steffi Burgi, Evan Cameron, Bridget Carter-Whitney, Olivia Collver, Kaitlin Gallant, Astrid Krueger, Taylor Pizzirusso and Rhea Saini.

This non-partisan program allows interns to gain practical experience in the daily workings of the Legislature. They will each complete two placements over the course of their time at Queen’s Park, one with a government member and one with an opposition member. I want to encourage all eligible members to participate in this exceptional program. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: It’s a privilege to welcome Jennifer, Lucy, Holly, Laura and Jake from the Canadian Liver Foundation to Queen’s Park today. They are hosting a reception this afternoon, at 12 in room 228. Everyone is welcome. I welcome you to Queen’s Park.

MPP Jamie West: We have several members from the TVO branch of the Canadian Media Guild. A few of the executive are here: Meredith Martin, Cara Stern and Dan DiMillo.

Mr. Deepak Anand: Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute pleasure to introduce His Holiness Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni Ji, Dr. Mahendra Jain, Anshul Rohil, Mahendra Bhandari, Prakash Kumar and Harshit Shah from the Jain Society of Toronto in Scarborough, and a resident of Mississauga–Malton, Tanvi Nagda.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I’d like to welcome board members Pamela Baker and Stephen Harvey from RTOERO. Welcome. RTOERO is an association of retirees associated with education. Welcome to your House.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to introduce Brooke Timpson, a friend and a former staffer here at Queen’s Park. Welcome.

Ms. Marit Stiles: It gives me great pleasure to welcome members of the National Council of Canadian Muslims who are here for their advocacy day. I look forward to seeing you later on at the reception. Welcome.

Mrs. Robin Martin: It’s my privilege to take the opportunity to introduce my sister-in-law, Meredith Martin, who’s in the gallery.

MPP Jill Andrew: It’s a great honour to welcome the following TVO executives and workers to their House at Queen’s Park: president of the TVO branch of the Canadian Media Guild Meredith Martin and VP Cara Stern, along with Sameen Ahmad-Wing Quan, Aaron Bala, Nathaniel Basen, Chris Beaver, Preeti Bhuyan, Eric Bombicino, Jacquie Busby, Ryan Buskirk, Hilary Clark, Dan DiMillo, Natalie Drajewicz, Colin Ellis, Sean Foreman, Erica Giancola, Sandra Gionas, Ruth Hurst, Daniel Kitts, Namugenyi Kiwanuka, Liane Kotler, Tiffany Lam, Christine Lee, Harrison Lowman, Lisa Marinelli, John Michael McGrath, Matthew O’Mara, Sangeeta Patel, Aaron Reichert, Wodek Szemberg, Shajgev Umaharan, Jeanne d’Arc Umurungi, Cara Vaughan and Brittany Weaver.

Thank you to these education workers, journalists and producers from TVO workers.

Interruption.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the people in the gallery to take their seats. Order.

There should be no political commentary during introduction of visitors.

The member for Kitchener–Conestoga.

Mr. Mike Harris: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On your behalf, I do believe I see your wife sitting up in the gallery. Lisa Arnott is here, and I think we should all give a round of applause for her putting up with the Speaker for many, many years.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): She asked me not to introduce her.

Ms. Catherine Fife: I’d like to introduce Charlie the chaplain. He’s in the public gallery today and he offers counselling services to MPPs, if you wish. And let’s be honest, we need all the help we can get.

Hon. Todd Smith: The member can speak for herself.

We have some guests here from Alberta, fresh off a tour of the world’s largest nuclear facility at Bruce Power: Minister Nathan Neudorf is the Minister of Affordability and Utilities and the vice-president of the Treasury Board in Alberta. They’re in your Speaker’s gallery this morning, Mr. Speaker. Also, a couple of staff members—Jon Dziadyk, the chief of staff, and Michael Smith—are joining us today, all the way from Alberta.

MPP Jill Andrew: I just want to also welcome Charlie the chaplain, who has been incredibly amazing over the years, and especially during my challenge with Mom.

I also want to give a great thank you to the Jain Society of Toronto, in Scarborough, that held an excellent morning ceremony today on the power of friendship.

Hon. Michael D. Ford: On behalf of the government and the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, I too want to welcome the National Council of Canadian Muslims as well as community leaders from across the province on behalf of the Muslim community here. Welcome to your House.

M. Stéphane Sarrazin: J’aimerais souhaiter la bienvenue aux gens de TFO qui sont ici aujourd’hui avec nous. J’ai eu la chance de les rencontrer ce matin. J’ai eu la chance aussi de participer à leur évènement à Ottawa, la rentrée. Je dois les féliciter pour la programmation puis aussi pour leur implication dans l’éducation de nos francophones en Ontario. Donc, madame Godin, madame Séguin : bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our introduction of visitors.

I understand the member for Ottawa–Vanier has a point of order.

M me Lucille Collard: I am seeking unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 45(b)(iv), eight minutes be apportioned to the independent members as a group for debate on opposition motion number 1 today.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Madame Collard is seeking unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), that five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today. Agreed—what?

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It says five minutes here.

Agreed? I heard a no.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The House has made its decision on this matter. We’re going to move on.

Question Period

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier.

Every day, we find out new details about who and how this government’s insiders were involved in the greenbelt grab. Public accounts revealed that this government paid the Premier’s former principal secretary Amin Massoudi nearly a quarter of a million dollars to do the same job via his private company, Atlas.

My question to the Premier is, why did the Premier hire his good friend to provide the same services but at an exorbitant pay increase?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the government House leader and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: As you know and the Premier highlighted a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Massoudi is no longer employed by PC caucus services.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Back to the Premier: We all remember Mr. Massoudi for his participation in the infamous Las Vegas boys’ trip with greenbelt land speculator Shakir Rehmatullah. Last week, journalists asked the Premier’s office about Mr. Massoudi’s lucrative contract and a spokesperson for the Premier said that the contract has ended and he has no formal role.

When exactly did the contract with Mr. Massoudi’s firm, Atlas strategies, end?

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I mentioned, the Premier highlighted a couple of weeks ago in Niagara Falls that that contract had ended and Mr. Massoudi is no longer working for PC caucus services.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Back to the Premier: The people of this province deserve to know the exact date this contract ended because Mr. Massoudi’s firm was registered to lobby the government on November 3, 2022. If there was an overlap, it means that a company actively lobbying the government was also writing the Premier’s speeches and drafting his communications strategy at the same time. At the very least, a close friend of the Premier got a pretty sweet gig: $230,000 for just three months of work.

Back to the Premier: Which is it?

Hon. Paul Calandra: It’s not surprising that the member opposite is wrong. Again, as the Premier said, that contract was terminated a couple of weeks ago, as highlighted by the Premier.

Mr. Massoudi himself, I’m told, has never been registered to lobby the government. If she has a complaint, I would suggest that she take that up with the Integrity Commissioner and I’m sure he will investigate that further. But as I said, he’s no longer employed by PC caucus research services.

Government accountability

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Again, the leader of the opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you, Speaker. Sometimes it’s what they won’t say.

Back to the Premier: Government lawyers have now confirmed that the Premier routinely uses his personal devices to conduct government business. The Premier was warned by the Information and Privacy Commissioner that government business must be conducted on government devices and platforms. It’s about basic transparency. This is not new.

Why has the Premier refused to follow the commissioner’s guidance?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The honourable member will know that this Premier has been very open with respect to how people can contact him. As I said last week, he in fact gave his phone number out in the House, publicly, for everybody to call. I know I’ve been with him, and a number of our caucus members have been with him, when he’s answering calls from constituents with respect to programs or services for people in his riding. He’s not going to stop doing that because that’s the type of person he is.

The slogan “for the people” isn’t just a slogan for us; it is at the core of what we do. Everything that we do, since 2018, has been about advancing the people of the province of Ontario, unleashing the economy. Now we’re going to tackle the housing affordability crisis that they helped create with the Liberals. It’s about doing what’s right for the people of the province of Ontario. This Premier is not going to stop doing that. This caucus won’t stop doing that. The only people getting in the way are the opposition and their partners in the Liberal Party.

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Supplementary.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, if he’s so open, why won’t he release his records?

Back to the Premier: It’s really important to remember that the commissioner’s guidance came after staff in this Premier’s office were caught using personal email accounts to arrange for the Premier’s souped-up custom van.

The people of Ontario are not going to be played for fools. Did the Premier intentionally continue to use personal devices in order to avoid freedom-of-information requests?

Hon. Paul Calandra: This is a party that can’t even get a standing ovation right, and they expect the people of the province of Ontario to ever put confidence in them to govern. Give me a break, Mr. Speaker.

I’ll tell you what happened in the last election: We went to the people of the province of Ontario and we said that we’re going to continue to unleash the power of the economy of Ontario. Do you know why? Because it’s not only good for the people of Ontario; it’s good for all of Canada when Ontario succeeds. That’s why people from Alberta are here: because they want to see what we’re doing, and it is good for all of Canada.

So I tell the member opposite, take a look behind you. There are so many fewer NDP members in that caucus. Do you know why? Because the people of the province Ontario put their faith in a Progressive Conservative government to continue to build the economy, to tackle the housing affordability crisis and to continue a bigger, better, bolder Ontario.

Interjections.

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

The final supplementary.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Global News has requested the Premier’s personal phone logs after an FOI request found no evidence the Premier had used his government phone during a one-week period in November. Remember, this was when the government was planning for the greenbelt grab and various urban boundary expansions were being announced. The Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner found that favoured land speculators received preferential treatment as a result of these decisions.

So to the Premier: Will his personal phone logs reveal conversations with the very land speculators who benefited from preferential treatment by this government?

Hon. Paul Calandra: What can you do about a leader of the opposition who doesn’t understand that we have a Premier who actually takes calls from Ontarians? Imagine this, Mr. Speaker: He got up in the House and gave his personal phone number out in the House on the record for everybody to call. That’s what he did. That’s probably why this caucus has grown. That’s probably why we won a larger majority than we had in 2018. But you know what the real reason is? Because we continue to focus on the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario.

We said, in 2018, colleagues—remember when we said that a carbon tax would hurt the province of Ontario’s economy? What did they say? No. We said federal policies of high taxes, red tape and the carbon tax would hurt the Ontario economy. They said no, and they doubled down to support the federal Liberals.

You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to fight it every step of the way. We’re going to continue to cut taxes, continue to cut red tape, because we don’t accept high interest rates that are what happens when you do all the things they want to us do. It takes too many people out of the economy and won’t—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The next question.

Government accountability

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier.

Speaker, the details just don’t add up on the former minister’s trip to Vegas with a greenbelt speculator. The member for Mississauga East–Cooksville, Mr. Massoudi and Mr. Truesdell all suspiciously and consistently told the Integrity Commissioner that their trip was in 2019 when it actually occurred months later. The former minister said he only saw the developer in the lobby. Now it’s reported that they got spa services at the same time.

Would the Premier agree, as a generally accepted practice, that members of the Ontario Legislature shall present only honest and true information to the Integrity Commissioner?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Obviously, Mr. Speaker, and that is up to that member to ensure that he does that with the Integrity Commissioner, and I’m certain that he will do just that. But that is a member that is no longer serving in this caucus. That is a member who has taken responsibility and resigned from cabinet, because the Premier expects only the highest standards from his cabinet and caucus.

At the same time, we are focused on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario, and that is growing the economy. There is no doubt—there is no doubt that we made a public policy decision that was not supported by the people of the province of Ontario when we suggested we would open up the greenbelt to expedite housing. We accept that responsibility, Mr. Speaker.

What we will not accept is the opposition’s continued obstruction on building new homes for the people of the province of Ontario. You know what? People want out of their parents’ basement. They want to have a home for themselves so that they can build bigger, better opportunities and futures for their families. We’ll remain focused on that. We’ll get the job done, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Speaker, on this side of the House we will always vote for integrity. Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do.

Back to the Premier: When we’re elected to this Legislature, we all take an oath; we pledge that we will all perform our duties honestly. Key members of the Premier’s staff and a former cabinet minister all mistakenly misremembered the date of a luxurious trip to Vegas consistently, can’t recall exactly how they paid for the trip and don’t mention the good-luck massage. What’s worse, their story was only corrected when the media reported evidence to the contrary.

How can we trust this Premier to hold members accountable for violating the Members’ Integrity Act when he himself won’t follow the recommendations of officers of the Legislature?

Hon. Paul Calandra: It’s just the opposite, Mr. Speaker. Not only did we accept the 15 recommendations of the Auditor General; we are going even further by ensuring that the boundaries of the greenbelt are codified in law, something that has never happened before.

He talks about integrity in government. Look, we are building a bigger, better, stronger province of Ontario. But when he says about the oath that they signed, I wonder if the former member from Brampton would feel the same way. You remember Kevin Yarde, right? You remember Kevin Yarde. I wonder what the former member from York South–Weston might think about your integrity pledge over there, Mr. Speaker.

I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to continue to focus on what matters for the people of the province of Ontario, and that’s building a bigger, better, stronger economy that brings everybody into that prosperity, Mr. Speaker, because you know what? We want kids out of their basements. We want them in a home of their own. We want them to help build a better Ontario for future generations. If that’s not what our job is, then what else is it to do here, Mr. Speaker?

Life sciences sector

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. The previous Liberal government, with support from the NDP, watched as life sciences companies in Ontario backed up their operations and went to innovate in other jurisdictions. Thankfully, our government took immediate action to fix this, and our province’s life sciences sector is now recognized as a global leader. However, in view of ongoing and emerging needs for life-saving medications and interventions, it is crucial that our government continue to prioritize investments in this critical sector.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to support the life science sector?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, Ontario is the largest life sciences jurisdiction in Canada. It’s home to 19,000 firms and 70,000 workers. In just three years, we have attracted $3 billion in new investments in the life sciences sector. That is why our government launched a new life sciences strategy. This is the very first strategy in over a decade, and it will help us grow the number of jobs in the life sciences sector to 85,000 by 2030. It includes $15 million in a Life Sciences Innovation Fund, which will help entrepreneurs take their innovative ideas to market.

And it includes a Life Sciences Council, which we’re working with right now to find opportunities to increase our companies’ competitiveness and encourage the adoption of Ontario-made innovations.

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

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Thank you to the minister for his response. It is great to hear that we have been able to attract over $3 billion in life science investments in the past few years. Every year, we have over 65,000 students graduating from STEM programs at our globally recognized universities and colleges. With one of the most sought-after workforces in the world, it is no surprise that global life sciences companies are investing and expanding in Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on some of the investments our government has been able to secure in the life sciences sector?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, just think about this for a minute: Ontario is home to critical medical breakthroughs, including the discovery of insulin, developing the very first cardiac pacemaker and detecting the cystic fibrosis gene. That’s what we’ve done here in Ontario, and it’s why our life sciences ecosystem is so noticed around the world. We’ve attracted game-changing investments, like Moderna’s multi-million-dollar partnership with Novocol Pharma to expand vaccine manufacturing right here in Ontario.

This is in addition to the $500-million investment from AstraZeneca earlier this year, which is creating 500 highly skilled jobs and boosting the capacity to develop innovative medicines.

Speaker, these investments are a vote of confidence in Ontario’s thriving sector—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much.

The next question.

Government contract

Mr. Joel Harden: My question is to the Premier. Six years ago, the Scottish people found out Phil Verster, then CEO of ScotRail, was receiving a salary of $430,000, a $28,000 rent supplement, a $16,000 car allowance and full private health care for himself and his family. Mr. Verster got these perks, Speaker, despite months of delays, malfunctions and fare hikes in Scotland’s rail system. He resigned in disgrace in 2017, but the Liberals then hired him to run Metrolinx in 2017 and he has failed to deliver transit on-budget and on time ever since. But the government just renewed Mr. Verster’s contract. Reports are suggesting he could earn up to $1 million a year with God knows how many perks.

My question to the Premier: Why are you rewarding failure?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The associate minister.

Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam: Mr. Speaker, our government is investing $70.5 billion in the next 10 years into the largest transit expansion in the history of Canada. We have multi-billion-dollar projects like the GO rail expansion program and four priority subway programs.

Since 2018, the scope of Metrolinx has significantly expanded. We are focusing on building the Ontario Line and have more shovels in the ground for the Scarborough subway. After 30 years of inaction from the former Liberal government, supported by the NDP, we are getting shovels in the ground. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are making the largest investment across Ontario. We are making life more affordable.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. Supplementary question.

Mr. Joel Harden: Back to the Premier: To be clear, the government is rewarding an executive that failed the country of Scotland and that is failing the province of Ontario. We remember how these Conservatives in 2017 and 2018 railed against Mayo Schmidt, the $6-million man who helped the Liberal government sell off Hydro One. But now they are the conductors, sadly, of Phil Verster’s gravy train at Metrolinx. Commuters are suffering, transit workers are suffering, hundreds of small businesses have had to close because of Mr. Verster’s failure, but his army of 59 vice-presidents at Metrolinx and 19 C-suite executives continues to rake in perks and massive paycheques.

Speaker, a simple question to the government and to the Premier: Will he stand up for transit riders and transit workers, demand accountability at Metrolinx and fire Phil Verster today?

Interjections.

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

And to reply, the Associate Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Vijay Thanigasalam: Mr. Speaker, our government will not take lessons from the member opposite, who just wants to see Ontarians stuck in gridlock forever. The NDP claims to want more public transit, but on record, they have voted against every single measure our government has put forward to make that happen, whether it’s the Scarborough subway or the Ontario Line. Even right now, our government is making life more affordable for transit riders from Durham region, York region, Mississauga and Brampton.

For the public of Toronto, we are discounting the double fare, so moving forward for the city of Toronto and TTC riders, no more two fares or three fares; we are making one fare that will save $1,600 every year.

They voted more than once against that. We are making life more affordable.

Interjections.

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

The House will come to order.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to start calling out members individually if they don’t come to order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader will come to order. The member for Kitchener–Conestoga will come to order.

Start the clock. Next question.

Indigenous economic development

Mr. Dave Smith: I’m not sure how I can follow up that answer.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and the Minister of Northern Development. The previous Liberal government, propped up by the NDP, drove jobs out of Ontario and failed to unlock our province’s full economic potential. In contrast to the failed leadership of the previous Liberal government, we must recognize and respect that Indigenous businesses are valuable in supporting critical supply chains across many sectors. Our government must appreciate their unique perspectives and contributions in the business sector, which are essential in building a stronger Ontario.

While our government has implemented positive measures to ensure that all Ontarians have the opportunity to participate in our growing economy, more needs to be done to support Indigenous communities.

Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is increasing economic prosperity for Indigenous people across Ontario?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I thank the member for his question. This is about engaging First Nations leadership and First Nations business leaders in their own forums, Mr. Speaker, talking about opportunities in legacy infrastructure projects, major energy corridor projects. Not less than a couple of weeks ago, we talked with a number of chiefs about some exciting hydroelectricity projects that won’t just supply their communities but will also host anchor tenants in the resource sector.

In southwestern Ontario, we’ve established table-specific, project-specific opportunities where First Nations business leaders and business leaders have an opportunity to get in the same room and talk about real opportunities and take action.

We are a participant at those tables. We’re seeing real progress being made with Ontario’s First Nations’ economic development businesses.

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

Mr. Dave Smith: From the minister’s response, it’s evident that the Indigenous Economic Development Fund is leading to positive outcomes for Indigenous communities and is helping to advance economic prosperity for Ontario as a whole. However, businesses are only one part of what makes up a vibrant economy. Prosperity is also amplified through relationships and investments that expand cultural and recreational opportunities that not only benefit communities in the north but also include people all across Ontario. Our government must continue to partner with Indigenous communities on initiatives that will lead to long-term economic growth.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Indigenous communities in ways that will strengthen their economic prosperity?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Increasingly, we’re seeing First Nations communities consolidating their resources when it comes to business activities, partnering with other First Nations communities and tapping into business expertise. Take, for example, the Ontario First Nations Economic Developers Association. This ministry supports them wholeheartedly. We promote economic development officers in communities throughout Ontario. We provide business capacity.

We support recruitment and retention of qualified business people to support First Nations communities and/or their businesses in their efforts, and we work with them very closely on improving First Nations procurement not just in the private sector but also in the public sector.

These are all examples of communities that are moving forward on key business projects that support their community and the surrounding area for a greater, more fulsome sense of prosperity that includes First Nations people, their communities and their businesses.

Government advertising

Mr. Jeff Burch: Speaker, through you to the Premier: The Premier has constantly claimed that there is no government spending on the greenbelt scandal. Yet just two days after the Auditor General released a damning report about the greenbelt grab, this government started flooding the airwaves with an ad campaign attempting to salvage their image.

So first, this government takes greenbelt lands to enrich their friends. Next, they take tax dollars to try to change the channel. Will the Premier tell us how much this vanity project is costing the people of Ontario?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: In fact, what we’re doing is highlighting for the people of the province of Ontario that this government is focused on their priorities. Housing is a priority not just for Progressive Conservative voters, but it’s a priority for all Ontarians. Regardless of what side of the House you come on, you should be focused on that.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the NDP and the Liberals have voted against every single measure that we have put on the table to help unleash the housing sector in the province of Ontario. In fact, it has literally taken us five years to undo the damage that was done by the Liberals, supported by the NDP. And it’s going to take us still even more, because we’re going to be bringing even more bills forward to help ensure that we can get homes built in communities across Ontario, who are calling us and saying that they want to participate.

I don’t know why the NDP are against—well, I do know why the NDP are against building homes, because it’s the same thing: They want people to be dependent on government. We want people to be able to flourish on their own with the support of the government when they need it. That’s the difference between us and them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary, the member for Niagara.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Well, we know, the public knows and this government knows that the greenbelt grab was never about housing. Instead of building affordable and sustainable housing, this government is spending taxpayers’ dollars on a PR campaign to distract from their scandal.

The people of Ontario deserve clear, decisive answers on how public dollars are being used. Will this government tell Ontarians how much this ad campaign is costing them?

Hon. Paul Calandra: That’s what the estimates are for. Those will be tabled in the House, and the opposition has the opportunity review those estimates. In fact, it’s our government that has given the opportunity to review the estimates of every single ministry; that never happened before. But do you know who voted against that transparency? They did, Mr. Speaker. The NDP and the Liberals voted against that transparency.

But here, it comes down to one thing: Over and over and over and again, tax, spend, doom and gloom. What we’re going to focus on is building Ontario stronger than it was before. We’re going to be working with those businesses that want to invest here, the people around this country who are looking at Ontario and saying, “We need you to continue to prosper,” because it’s not only for the people of the province of Ontario; it is good for all of Canada when Ontario prospers.

We will not be deterred in our mission to build more homes, to get kids out of their parents’ basements so they can have all the same benefits that we have had. Only the NDP want to keep them in the basements, and of course the Liberals will help them do it.

Municipal planning

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier. Last year, the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing overrode Ottawa’s urban boundary expansion and added an additional 654 hectares for development after city council had already evaluated and added other lands. The former minister added lands that were so unsuitable for development because of their agricultural designation that they weren’t even evaluated by experts. This includes a 37-hectare parcel on Watters Road in Orléans that was designated an agricultural resource and is an active farm.

After the city confirmed this designation, the farm was purchased by a group that has donated significantly to the Conservative Party and stood to make millions from the development. After holding up the city’s official plan for two years and after receiving tens of thousands of dollars in donations from the landowners, the former minister added these lands to Ottawa’s urban boundary.

Mr. Speaker, can the Premier share with us the process used to evaluate the suitability of these lands for inclusion in the boundary, who was involved in that determination, and what influence, if any, did political contributions and personal relationships have on the decision?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member knows full well that an addition to the urban boundary in itself does not mean that that parcel of land would be developed upon. The city remains control of when or if that additional space is developed.

I was just in Ottawa, actually, last Thursday, speaking with Mayor Sutcliffe, and he is every bit as excited as we are to help build more homes in his community because he understands how important it is. Now, the one thing he did say to me is that federal government policies are hurting his city. There’s not a return-to-work in a lot of instances, so it’s really hurting the people of downtown Ottawa. So we’re going to do our part to ensure that Ottawa prospers, that Ottawa grows. We have incredible members—the member for Nepean and the member for Carleton—who are helping every single day.

Despite the fact the member opposite does nothing to help us, we’re building long-term care homes, we’re building transit, we’re building transportation, we’re making incredible investments in Ottawa to help the city grow, Mr. Speaker. I hope he’ll get on board and help us do the same.

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

Mr. Stephen Blais: My supplementary is also for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, the mayor is so convinced of the government’s process that he voted unanimously with city council to ask the minister to review that process from last year. Following the purchase of these ag lands but before their designation by the minister, it appears that the directors of the corporation collectively donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Conservative Party.

Since that re-designation, the former minister unilaterally added these lands without the city having undertaken any scientific or consultative review of the quality of the lands for farming or their suitability for urbanization. The company who purchased the lands is referenced in the Integrity Commissioner’s report about Minister Clark’s behaviour as having lands on the infamous USB key.

Lands on the USB key, donations to the Conservative Party, connections to Conservative insiders: It’s sounding awful familiar, Mr. Speaker. Maybe there’s a Mr. X in Ottawa as well.

To the Premier: Was the delay in approving Ottawa’s official plan designed—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will take his seat.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I just said, look, the city of Ottawa remains in control of when or if those lands will be developed or serviced, for that matter. But here again is another question from the opposition, from the Liberals, who for 15 years put obstac