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October 31, 2024

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2024-Oct-31 vol. A (PDF)

L176A - Thu 31 Oct 2024 / Jeu 31 oct 2024

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 31 October 2024 Jeudi 31 octobre 2024

Orders of the Day

Building Ontario For You Act (Budget Measures), 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à bâtir l’Ontario pour vous (mesures budgétaires)

Members’ Statements

York Region Mental Health Community Care Hub

Remembrance Day

Fertility services

Cycling infrastructure

Kinsmen Super TV Bingo

Government accountability

Diwali

Government accountability

Quinte Business Achievement Awards

Halloween message

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Government accountability

Government’s record

Government accountability

Taxation

Government accountability

Energy policies

Northern highway improvement

Fertility services

Skilled trades

Home care

Public safety

Northern municipal infrastructure

Long-term care

School nutrition programs

Correction of record

Diwali / Halloween

Introduction of Visitors

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Introduction of Bills

La Ferme Cantin Inc. Act, 2024

Retiree Experience Awareness Day Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le Jour de sensibilisation aux expériences des retraités

Petitions

Health care

Social assistance

Public safety

Land use planning

Taxation

Health care

Land use planning

Northern Health Travel Grant

Taxation

Land use planning

Transportation infrastructure

Public safety

Land use planning

Tuition

Business of the House

Orders of the Day

Building Ontario For You Act (Budget Measures), 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à bâtir l’Ontario pour vous (mesures budgétaires)

The House met at 0900.

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

Prières.

Orders of the Day

Building Ontario For You Act (Budget Measures), 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à bâtir l’Ontario pour vous (mesures budgétaires)

Mr. Piccini, on behalf of Mr. Bethlenfalvy, moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 216,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes / Projet de loi 216, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Hon. David Piccini: It’s an honour to rise in the House here this morning, and I would like to, first, start by saying that I’m sharing my time with the member for Milton and the great member from Peterborough–Kawartha just to the north of me.

It’s an honour to rise here this morning, as always. I’m honoured to rise on behalf of Minister Bethlenfalvy to lead off second reading debate for building a better Ontario for you act, budget measures, 2024. The second reading follows the minister, of course, introducing this in the Legislature yesterday, the 2024 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review.

Today I’m pleased to lead it off, and let me start by saying a profound thank you to Minister Bethlenfalvy, to his team, to the ministry for their hard work and for the work that they continue to do for Ontarians. We have a plan to build Ontario, and it’s a plan that’s working. Everywhere you look in our ridings, we have so much more to do, but we are addressing decades of delay and inaction, studies and dithering and actually now are laser-focused on getting shovels in the ground.

What does that mean in particular for my portfolio? It means workers are collecting a paycheque, and I want to just start it off because I had a great chat with the member for Windsor-Essex this morning—the $14 million in payroll per week that workers are collecting down in Windsor, that is remarkable, Speaker, because this Premier has a plan to get it done and we’ve done it by not raising a single tax since we formed government.

We’re building highways, transit and other infrastructure, keeping costs down and delivering better services for everyone, and we’ve done this as part of a fiscally responsible plan to balance the budget and restore Ontario’s credit ratings. Thanks to the success of this plan, today our government is in a position to do more, build more and give more to the people of this province.

Getting to where we find ourselves today, Speaker, this point where we’re finding the success in our plan, it wasn’t automatic and it certainly wasn’t guaranteed. When we took office in 2018, life was getting too expensive for working families. High taxes, high burden, high red tape and delays affected our economy.

One of the great engines of our economy, our manufacturing sector, had been in decline and, of course, lost 300,000 jobs. This was a fundamental shift in the province of Ontario, a shift to be a service economy. Speaker, when I was in Victoria as Minister of Labour, my first meeting—and I went out there and met with Ministers of Labour. I remember the agenda they give you, when you look at last meeting, it had been years prior, before the pandemic, and Ontario’s contribution signalled this province’s plan to be a service economy. They put it in writing. The Minister of Labour at the time signalled that that’s what they wanted to do.

But what did that represent? It represented a fundamental disdain, a fundamental disbelief in the capabilities in our workforce. This Premier’s on a mission to change that. The pandemic showed us we need to build things in this province, manufacture and make things. You look today at our life sciences sector, booming. The fact that our PPE—zero per cent made in Ontario; today, over 90%. You look to our manufacturing sector. I remember in my community, the Kraft plant shut down.

General Electric in Peterborough, General Motors—these are incredible job creators that signalled the best of this province, the best of our ingenuity, the best of our manufacturing might. They’re the very best of what it meant to be an Ontarian, to create things in the province.

I vividly remember: one of the first doors I knocked on, on Leskard in Orono, and Pete Etmanskie, a constituent of mine, said, “You’re in General Motors country, son.” This was and continues to this day to be a remarkable source of pride for folks in my community who work at General Motors. You see, Speaker, when we were predicted to have zero per cent of EV automotive manufacturing, when Bloomberg said we will not have any piece of that pie—and as someone who enjoys pie and who enjoys pizza, not getting a slice; I mean, that’s not fair—but, today, not only are we getting a slice, we’re getting the whole pie.

We’re making cars again. We’re the only jurisdiction to have the automotive might that we have today, six of the big automotive giants in our jurisdiction, and they’re doing because Premier Ford has created a competitive environment that creates low taxation: $8 billion off the backs of job creators that’s partnering with skills development to create a resilient workforce.

Anyone who’s been down to Stellantis or seen the EVs or worked with Unifor—a shout-out to Mike Piane, Vito and the team in Brampton, and he reminds me that they’re retooling, that this government is supporting them. This Premier is giving them the nimbleness to retool their lines for whatever comes at them. Whether it’s hybrid, EV, ICE vehicles, we are positioning our workforce for success in tomorrow’s economy, to be a leader, to create and manufacture things again. That’s what this Premier’s doing.

It’s a belief that people can stand on their own two feet, can achieve greatness, can achieve their full potential, not because of government and not living off of government handouts but, rather, the gentle support of government through programs like the Skills Development Fund—Madam Speaker, that you know very well—low taxation, a low burden environment. You see our triple-A rating. We have created the climate for success in Ontario.

As I’ve said, we’ve done that by reducing the cost of doing business by $8 billion, but when we create this investment, the new automotive manufacturing plants, how will we going to get people to and from work? If it was up to the opposition, they would tell people in communities like mine to bike to work, over an hour and a half, but the reality is, for the pipefitter/steamfitter that I had breakfast with this morning reminded me that you’d get up every day, getting up at 4 a.m. was nothing, because that’s what he did for his career, because he’d have to drive.

I think to incredible crane operators in my riding—the guys who do Castleton Sports Club, getting up at 3 a.m. to be in Scarborough to start the day. This is the reality of rural Ontarians driving.

As we move towards a cleaner, more sustainable future and actually manufacture vehicles—not rebates for millionaires, but actually manufacturing and creating the incredible supply to drive down costs. We still have to drive to work—and so recognizing that this Premier said for every dollar we invest in roads, bridges and highways, we’re going to invest two in public transit.

So two-way, all-day GO in Lakeshore East—what a big beneficiary our communities have been of that decision. As the federal government was dialing back Via Rail service, Premier Ford and our government were investing in GO Transit, electrifying the rail, increasing frequency—two-way, all-day GO everywhere I look. The member from Milton, who has been a massive champion for commuters in his riding—they’ve benefited from expanded GO service.

We’re delivering on a plan that builds hospitals, that builds roads and highways and bridges, that invests in public transit—the Ontario Line. Hearing in this place the lines like the opposition—it hurts me to even repeat it—things like “a fantasy tunnel.” That’s what they said about the Ontario Line, and how many kilometres of tunnelling have we done today? How many workers today are taking home a six-figure salary?

What it really represents is their decoupling of reality—the loss of the unionized base that used to support that party but that has now come to us to support us because they know that this government wants them to earn a paycheque, that we’re not going to pander to the fringe, that we’re going to fundamentally represent the will of the Ontario people by getting things built. That’s why they’ve lost their unionized base. That’s why they’re coming over and endorsing Premier Ford and supporting us. We believe in those workers. We believe in their success.

We believe that our future will not be realized if not for those workers on the Ontario Line—the incredible unionized workforce. Just look; it’s fact. How many unions came out and supported Premier Ford’s feasibility study on the tunnel? How many? Almost all the building trades. These are the same unions that have abandoned the NDP, because they support a plan, a Premier, who has his eyes laser-focused on building for tomorrow.

A wise, elderly woman in my riding said, “David, there a reason the front windshield is bigger than the rear-view mirror. My best days may yet be behind me, but for my grandkids, for our next generation, please look out that front windshield when you’re driving forward.” That’s what Premier Ford is doing.

Building a highway—my goodness; to think that we would never build a road again in the province of Ontario. That is the dithering and delay that’s defined by Liberals and the NDP. We’re building the roads. And do you know what? We’re doing things like recycled asphalt—leveraging the engineering might and the incredible technology that we see today to get this infrastructure built.

We’ve created over 860,000 new jobs since 2018 and attracted tens of billions of dollars in new investments.

We have a job to do, and that means building those hospitals—over 50 infrastructure projects on the go today.

The 600 schools that were closed under the Liberals—that’s their record in rural Ontario. They turned their backs on rural Ontario. Of course, my predecessor called rural Ontario and northern Ontario a no man’s land. That was the contempt through which they viewed people in rural Ontario. Well, today we’ve seen places in my riding like Premier Tech expanding—Custom Plastics. I spoke to the folks at Protoplast, looking at expanding—Belden. To think that the Sphere in Las Vegas—that those networking solutions were done out of the incredible prowess and might of the team at Belden in Cobourg.

The fact that when we turn on our favourite hockey game and watch our Leafs, hopefully on the march to the cup—when that referee blows that whistle to end that game, that that is custom injection moulding done in Cobourg.

This is a government that believes in the men and women in Ontario’s workforce—that we can create, and that does not see what colour party you belong to, what your beliefs are. We just believe in people’s potential. Programs like the SDF mentioned in the fall economic statement are helping people achieve their full potential, whether it’s folks getting a second chance in construction, thanks to the leadership of this Premier, or whether it’s newcomers at A Women’s Work—a shout-out to Natasha Ferguson in Scarborough—getting a chance to be the master of their own destiny. We’re there to support people, to give them a fundamental leg up.

That belief in our workforce isn’t just on the workforce. It is a belief in our natural resources, the ability to cultivate from the earth the things we need to be a progressive economy, to move into the future, to mine our critical minerals in the north. Again, if it were up to the opposition, we’d be navel-gazing, studying that until I’m in a retirement home. But this government says, “Yes, we can get those critical minerals out of the ground.”

When I was up in the north, I remember getting a letter full of vitriol. At the bottom was a chief’s phone number. I called that chief. It was the lawyers who wrote the letter. But we had a wonderful conversation. We can have that conversation because I choose Ontario where we listen and learn from our elders and Indigenous peoples and have those conversations, because it is they, in Thunder Bay and communities like that, where I visit training centres—60% of the youth being trained are Indigenous peoples, creating companies that are supporting the Marathon PGM project.

I think of Chief Michano at Biigtigong and the work they did in the Marathon project there. It’s nothing shy of incredible, partnering with Indigenous nations. Rick Dumas, the mayor up there, wants to create economic opportunity for his community.

Again, if the shoe was on the other foot—God forbid the Liberals were in charge—we would never get that done. We would have never realized that success. We’re mining those critical minerals because that’s going to fuel the batteries and the manufacturing prowess that is our automotive sector.

I recognize that my success—I will never achieve that success. My success is dependent on the success of those eight hours-plus in the north, some of whom I’ll never get the chance of meeting—hopefully. But my success depends on theirs. Liberals viewed them with contempt—“no man’s land,” of course, again.

Being connected to the global economy, as Ontario is, comes with its advantages—I’ve talked about how we’re going to harness that advantage—but also challenges. We’re going up against international competitors who are trying to pull investments and jobs out of our economy—the tug-of-war we see. Again, this Premier has said: Are we going to sit on the sidelines and watch the future of automotive vehicles go beyond us? Or are we going to work with our labour workforce? Are we going to work with employers and contractor associations?

Are we going to work with those employers and that labour coalition—the three-legged stool, government, employers and employer associations, and labour, standing tall to get those investments in Ontario?

We know from the previous Liberal government that they were the folks that liked to sit on the sidelines. This Premier is not afraid to get out on the playing field. Yes, sometimes you trip, sometimes you fall, but you get back up because that’s a belief, as everyday Ontarians do each and every day. We don’t have the luxury of navel-gazing, of studying things ad nauseam. What the Liberals do to fuel that is they raise taxes. We know because their leader said that she would raise taxes, a municipal tax. That’s what we really need: another taxation, another line item of taxes on hard-working men and women of this province.

But that’s not happening because our low-taxation environment has landed $44 billion in investment. Behind each and every dollar is a story: a story of that worker going to work in Windsor—$14 million in payroll—zero of which would have happened under the Liberal Party.

That wasn’t enough, because we’ve worked with labour to talk about joint health and safety tables that are ensuring the most qualified workers are there doing the job, that we’re protecting the health and safety of the workers.

And now we’re going to St. Thomas and we’re looking to that investment, the EV battery investment—Volkswagen—and Goodyear in Napanee, just down the highway from us in Napanee. Up in Sault Ste. Marie, workers will be producing clean, low-emission steel to support manufacturers. My grandfather was in the steel sector when he emigrated from Italy. I think he’d be proud to know today that we didn’t sit on the sidelines and let this go. We didn’t just—you know, by fighting a carbon tax and investing in clean electric arc furnace, clean steel production, we’ve ensured—and I think my grandpa would be happy to know, that those steelworkers’ jobs are protected for generations to come.

I want to thank Ron and the team at Dofasco down in Hamilton; Alan Kestenbaum, of course, formerly of Stelco; Algoma Steel and the incredible workers there—I’ve had the opportunity to go and visit the work being done there, the work to electrify the arc furnace to produce the cleanest steel on planet Earth. Again, what am I tying this all back to? A fundamental belief in our workers, a belief in their ability to create clean steel for tomorrow, and we know that these investments are creating good jobs in life sciences, in EV.

I want to close, before I hand over my time today, just with the energy that’s going to power that and a nod to the people at OPG, at Bruce, in particular. The text message I got from an OPG worker whom I met at Algoma Orchards the weekend we were giving out pumpkins, Madam Speaker, for a donation to Clarington East Food Bank—and we were talking, and I met a worker there. I’m too young to have a senior’s moment, but his name—forgive me, I mentioned a few names today, but this one escapes me.

But he was there with his wife and with their children, and he told me his grandfather worked in the nuclear sector—his father, now he’s there—and we spoke about new nuclear. We spoke about the IESO report. We spoke about the largest-ever procurement for energy under Minister Lecce’s leadership that we’re seeing that’s going to ensure that those young children of his have a future, not just tomorrow but for a generation, a generation of clean power that will fuel our continued economic success—not taking risky deals at 80-plus cents a kilowatt hour, down the throats of farmers in rural Ontario and communities that weren’t consulted, but working collaboratively.

I visited Hiawatha First Nation and saw OPG and the collaborative work from the millwrights who are there and who do great work multiple times a year at Darlington, empowering women—full cohorts of women entering the clean energy space, Indigenous peoples entering the clean energy space.

And I suppose, in closing, I’ll say: This fall economic statement, what it is is an articulation that your tax dollars are best spent in your pocket, in the pockets of Ontarians. It’s an articulation that our manufacturers are the best of what Ontario is. Men and women in health care sectors who are seeing the new med schools, the new nursing seats that this Premier is investing in and recognizing that, in Ontario, we can sit on the sidelines, as the Liberals would have us do, or you can get on the field. Yes, you’re going to trip. You’re going to fall.

But this Premier is never shy to say, “Hey, we’re going to learn from that and we’re going to keep forging ahead.” Forging ahead to a future where we have cleaner electricity, thanks to this government’s commitment to a clean grid; forging ahead to a future where we’re going to be driving cars built here.

Interjection.

Hon. David Piccini: I’m getting shouted down because they don’t like when someone holds a mirror to their abysmal record that drove out manufacturing jobs.

But a brighter future where we’re going to build those cars here, where those Unifor workers are going to go to work, collecting a paycheque; folks at OPG that I met at Algoma, where their next generation are going to work on the lines of a clean energy future, where we’re going to mine those critical minerals in the north, where we can have an interconnected economy that’s by and for Ontarians, that’s built here in Ontario by Ontario workers, by a manufacturing workforce growing, backed by an interconnected supply chain of small and medium-sized businesses.

A province that embraces success—imagine that: a province that once again embraces ingenuity and success, that elevates it, that creates things in this province again, builds things in this province again. We’ve got the workers that can get the job done. Under this Premier’s leadership, we’re going to do just that.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate?

MPP Zee Hamid: Today, I rise to speak as part of the second reading of the building a better Ontario for you act, budget measures, 2024.

In follow-up to the Minister of Labour, Immigration Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, who began second reading of this important bill on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, I echo the minister in saying how proud we are of the work our government is doing. Our plan, Ontario’s plan, is working.

Despite the challenging economic times, we’re building a better Ontario for you by focusing on the fundamentals and the things that matter most for the people and families of Ontario; that is, everyone who lives, invests, works and retires in this great province of ours. It is you who are in our thoughts when we’re creating and thinking of ways of creating better jobs and bigger paycheques and thinking about the highways, transit and other infrastructure we need to build and how we need to keep costs down and deliver better services for you.

I’d like to spend a moment and briefly visit the new initiatives and investments rolled out in the 2024 fall economic statement, as well as in-scope initiatives that we’re moving forward via the proposals in the building a better Ontario for you budget measures bill.

Surely, one of the more impactful initiatives we announced in the 2024 fall economic statement is how we have increased the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, or OMPF, by $100 million over the next two years. This increase will bring the total funding provided through this program to $600 million by 2026. The OMPF is the province’s main general assistance grant to municipalities. As announced in the FES, municipalities will benefit from an immediate $50 million increase to the OMPF in 2025.

Municipalities are also benefiting from our investment of nearly $2 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure to help build more homes across Ontario. This funding includes $1.22 billion for the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and $725 million for the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program. This is in addition to the province’s Building Faster Fund, which has awarded more than $260 million to municipalities for their performance against their 2023 housing targets.

Housing targets are important. One of the measures that, if approved in the fall bill, would help move forward our work is support for municipalities’ interests with these housing targets. As members of this legislature know, Ontario is working to empower municipalities to increase housing supply and address housing affordability through municipal vacant homes tax.

As well, our plan is addressing transit service gaps in unserved and underserved communities, specifically, by our new $5-million Ontario Transit Investment Fund. This annual fund will bring municipalities, Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations and key partners together to develop integrated, coordinated and sustainable transit services.

Creating jobs and driving Ontario’s long-term economic growth and global competitiveness is a priority for this government because the benefits of jobs, growth and competitiveness include strong municipalities and communities. That is why we are allocating an additional $100 million to the Invest Ontario Fund, bringing the total to $700 million. To date, Invest Ontario has helped attract $4.1 billion in investments, which are expected to create 4,012 jobs.

Speaker, creating jobs and driving economic growth and competitiveness is why we are delivering tax support to Ontario manufacturers by continuing to offer the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to eligible Canadian-controlled private corporations. These manufacturers could receive up to $2 million per year in tax support to help lower their costs, encourage innovation and enhance competitiveness.

Jobs, growth and competitiveness are the rationale for launching the Advancing Ontario Made Manufacturing Plan, a 10-year road map for growing the sector’s workforce and production capacity. The Advancing Ontario Made Manufacturing Plan is a road map to help grow this vital sector’s output to over $120 billion and expand Ontario’s manufacturing workforce to one million people by 2035.

To grow the life sciences sector, we’re delivering on Ontario’s life sciences strategy, Taking Life Sciences to the Next Level. Here, we’re investing $146 million to launch phase two of the strategy to help secure the province as a global biomanufacturing and life sciences hub.

To build on a point the minister introduced, the need to provide affordable electricity for families and businesses for today, as well as the need for the future, is why we’re launching the largest competitive energy procurement in the province’s history. This initiative will secure at least 5,000 megawatts of electricity resources to meet the growing demand for clean and reliable power. Speaker, 5,000 megawatts is enough to power over two million homes. That is a big number.

So are these next ones: We’re investing nearly $50 billion over the next 10 years in hospital and health infrastructure, including $36 billion in capital grants. These investments will support over 50 hospital projects and deliver approximately 3,000 new hospital beds to enhance access to quality care and build a connected, people-first health care system.

We’ve also made historic investments of $6.4 billion since 2019 to build modern, safe and comfortable long-term-care homes for seniors and residents. We’re making progress to build 58,000 new and upgraded beds across the province by 2028, and we’re investing about $23 billion over the next 10 years, including $16 billion in capital grants, to build new schools, create child care spaces and modernize school infrastructure.

To build on a point discussed by the minister, we’re proposing to further extend the temporary gas and fuel tax rate cuts, so that the rate of tax on gasoline and diesel would remain at nine cents per litre for six further months, until June 30, 2025. This is proposed in the fall bill before us today. This extension would save Ontario households $380 on average over the three years since July 2022. I would like to add that this relief is especially important as the federal carbon tax is set to increase again on April 1, 2025.

As part of our plan, this government is helping workers and families today, and we’re also keeping an eye on the future. That is why, to help workers save for retirement, we have finalized regulations to enable a permanent target benefit pension plan framework to come into effect on January 1, 2025. Target benefit pension plans, often created by unions or associations within a specific industry, provide a monthly stream of income in retirement at a predictable cost to employers.

Now that I bring up personal finance matters, I’d like to note that our government is helping Ontarians on a personal finance front by empowering Ontario’s drivers. We’re empowering them by enabling more consumer choices when purchasing auto insurance through finalized and posted regulatory changes, which make statutory accident benefits, other than medical, rehabilitation and attendant care, optional for consumers to purchase. While the first-payer regulations are still being finalized, both of these changes will come into effect on July 1, 2026. We arrived at this date after extensive consultation within the sector, where we heard largely from insurance brokers themselves.

We are a government that listens first and then acts. That is why we’re giving as much time needed for the industry to implement these changes and prepare as they become increasingly better equipped to help Ontarians.

Speaking about how we’re enabling choice for consumers through changes to the regulations that impact the auto insurance marketplace allows me to segue to regulations. For too long, Ontario businesses and entrepreneurs faced unnecessary red tape and a prohibitively high cost of doing business. Since 2018, the government has taken significant actions to reduce regulatory burdens and lower costs for businesses to help them compete, grow and create good-paying, stable jobs. After all, private sector business is the beating heart of our economy—of any economy, for that matter.

For our economy to be healthier and grow, we need that heart to be as strong as it can be. That is why our government has put such emphasis on being open for business. If our businesses are doing better, that means that we’re selling, hiring and investing, and consumers are getting what they want to buy, workers are getting the jobs they want to do, and investors are getting returns on their chosen investments.

We’re focused on reducing burdensome regulations, yet make no mistake: Our government is also there for the little guy, the consumers and workers who are trying to make their way in life, to live the life they want the way they want to live, to make their own dollar go as far as it can and to be able to trust that they’re getting a fair deal, so they can trust that business institutions are there for them as much as anyone else in society.

Regulations are needed; they just need to be the right ones. That’s why this bill contains several measures that, when seen as a whole, can be listed under the headings of protecting consumers, working for workers and making life easier.

Here are some examples under the heading of protecting consumers.

Speaker, with the fall bill, we’re proposing to provide the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, or FRSA for short, with enhanced resolution and investigative tools needed to manage credit unions in financial crisis. As those in the Legislature know, FSRA is an independent agency focused on improving consumer protections in the province, and it regulates, among others, insurance companies, mortgage brokers, financial planners and advisers, and, of course, credit unions.

And speaking of credit unions, I would be remiss to not point out how important of a role these financial institutions play in our communities. More than 1.8 million Ontarians are members of a credit union—myself included—which had assets of about $97 billion in 2023. They’re regulated by FSRA under the credit unions act of 2020. This is a growing sector that our government is very much committed to supporting.

Back to FSRA: In

summary, what this proposed amendment would do is provide FSRA with enhanced powers to better protect Ontario’s financial system. This point connects back to one made by the minister in his remarks—how Ontario is plugged in tight to the global economy. The financial system of Ontario is highly integrated with the Canadian and global financial system. If the Canadian or global financial system suffers a sudden and unexpected shock, the shock could reverberate in Ontario’s credit union market. The shock could be enough that a credit union could see a sudden change of fortune and, as a result, be at risk of failure.

If this proposal is adopted, FSRA would be able to step in and help both the individual credit union and the sector as a whole. If approved, changes would be made to the act.

Speaker, this fall bill also contains a measure aimed at helping to protect investors. This measure has to do with how a key element of executing a placement of funds by an investor includes reviewing the company’s books, to put things in layperson terms—like myself, for that matter. The financial books of any business need to be accurate and conform to accounting and audit standards. Auditing firms play a very important role in the financial sector. But what happens when an auditing firm is being audited themselves? Well, a measure in the bill before us today relates to the Canadian Public Accountability Board Act, 2006. In

summary, our proposal ensures that when an auditing firm is itself audited, the results of that audit must be disclosed publicly.

When auditing firms are engaged by clients, a key part of what they audit is the company’s compliance with tax rules, which brings me to my next point having to do with our plan and the fall bill.

In this bill are a set of proposed amendments related to the Employer Health Tax Act. Here are proposed changes to ease the red tape burden on businesses with regard to the employer health tax, as well as changes to clarify eligibility for tax exemption amounts and the mechanisms for the Minister of Finance to pay a refund for overpaid taxes. You see, sometimes a refund is warranted under legislation and regulation. This change, if approved, would avoid the need for the refund applicant to have no choice but to use the objections and appeals process to obtain a refund of overpaid taxes.

Speaking of employers and workers, among the most important sectors that need workers is the Ontario construction sector. Through the fall bill, the government is introducing amendments to the Construction Act to implement priority recommendations from a recent independent review process. As members of this Legislature know, the Construction Act plays a critical role in Ontario’s economic development, increasing the provincial housing supply and the building of priority infrastructure projects, such as new highways and transit.

Ontario is proposing amendments to the Construction Act to ensure the legislation is working effectively and to address issues raised by the construction industry. If passed, the proposed changes would enhance access to statutory adjudication to resolve disputes and improve the flow of payments within the construction industry.

Speaker, I’ll close my arguments by saying that our government has a plan since the first day of its official installation back in summer 2018. Fast-forward to today and we’re still following that plan. The 2024 fall economic statement and the building a better Ontario for you act, 2024, reflect our latest thinking and results in the next steps of that plan.

In six years—despite a pandemic and despite globally impactful economic and geopolitical risk and challenges buffeting the province—here we are, turning things around for Ontario, rebuilding the economy, reducing the cost of doing business, working for workers, prioritizing the things that matter to individuals and families where they live and go on about their lives, providing better services. We’re getting it done, Speaker.

So I call on all members to vote in favour of the building a better Ontario for you act, budget measures, 2024.

Thank you, Speaker, and I’ll now pass it over to my friend and colleague the member for Peterborough–Kawartha.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): I recognize the member for Peterborough–Kawartha.

Mr. Dave Smith: As I pick up the debate this morning from my colleagues from Northumberland–Peterborough South and Milton, there are some staff members at the Ministry of Finance I’d like to share there, because they’ve spent a lot of time, a lot of long hours to make sure that our fall economic statement is ready and it is good: Cam Vidler, Todd Jerry, Susan McGovern, Daniela Tabachnick, Dusan Radisic, Ben Mubiru, Borjana Zikic, Catherine Nicol, Emily Hogeveen, Jaiman Chin, Nav Hundal, Miles White, Safa Khan, Ashley Millman, Taylor Putnam, Christian Buzo Tingarov, Nabiha Paracha, Michael Pacheco, Marcel Atunwa, Marc Desormeaux, Jonathan Thompson and Julia Facca.

And I’m leaving one to the end in particular, and that’s Colin Blachar. Colin is our deputy director of issues, media and legislative affairs. Speaker, he worked really, really hard to write a speech for me that would be in my voice. I said to him, “Colin, don’t spend a great deal of time on it because you know I’m not going to follow the speech. I’m going to go off on a tangent at some point in there and I’m going to lose track of where I was and I’m just going to keep going off on my own, because that’s what I do.” And he assured me that he’d get this done and it would be done in my voice.

He tried really, really hard. So I’m going to apologize right off the bat, Colin: I’m probably only going to get about three or four of the pages that you wrote, and the rest of it I’ll just end up ad-libbing because I’ll go off topic on it.

So, as I rise for the second reading of the building a better Ontario for you act, our plan is ambitious and it’s necessary. We know that by continuing to invest prudently and responsibly, we’re laying the groundwork for economic growth and thriving communities throughout the province.

And we know what the social realities are of the day, Speaker. The reality is that while Ontario’s economy is growing, individual people are still finding it hard to make ends meet at times. What we know is, with inflation as it has gone up and with interest rates when they went up, these are things that put significant pressures on a lot of people, and it takes some time, as they have been coming down, for individuals to actually see some of the benefit of that. So we recognize that there are people who are having some troubles.

One of the things that we do as government is to make sure that we’re doing things that help the average person, and one of the things that we’re going to be doing with that—as we know that individual families are grappling with the realities of the struggles that they have—is a $200 rebate for every single person in Ontario that filed a tax return last year.

And then on top of that, Speaker, we know that families have hit a lot of increases in costs. A lot of it is due to rising costs from inflation, as we have said. But one of the major factors on inflation is actually the carbon tax and what that has done to people.

Now, the opposition members are going to stand up and they’re going to say, “Oh, you shouldn’t do this; you shouldn’t do that; you shouldn’t do this; and you shouldn’t do that.” But the reality is, if we followed their advice all the time, the economy would not be in the position that it is right now here in Ontario. We would not be seeing increased revenue.

When we talk about revenue for the province of Ontario, let’s face facts: The only revenue the government has is what it takes from you. The government doesn’t go out and sell a whole bunch of things. The government doesn’t make products. They tax people.

Back in the spring, when the budget came out, we thought we needed a certain amount of money to do the things that we needed to do. We increased spending on certain things as well, and that’s reflected in the fall economic statement.

But the key to it, Speaker, is that the economy actually grew faster than what we thought it would. There were higher revenues, then, on personal income tax. That is money that came from you, the individual, and we didn’t anticipate that.

So what are we doing? There were a couple of options that we could do with it. Absolutely, there were a couple of options. The opposition has said, “You should give a tax credit.” People need relief today. As the Minister of Finance has said, we recognize that $200 is not going to be the thing that drags you out of the financial situation you are in, but when we estimated what our expenses were going to be, when we estimated what our income was going to be and we developed that budget, we estimated a certain amount of growth, and how much were we going to need to take from you to pay for the things that Ontario needs.

As it turns out, you did a far better job helping the economy. You did a far better job at work and increasing productivity. To thank you, to say thank you for that, we’re giving you back your money—$200. If you’ve got a family, for every child that you’ve got, we’re going to give you another $200 on top of it. Why? Because let’s face facts: We’re coming into the winter season. Every family that has children recognizes that there are expenses that they are dealing with. I’m looking at the member from Willowdale right now.

I know that he appreciates, now that he’s a new father, what the expenses actually are of having a child because there are things that you cannot anticipate, and this is something that will help. That additional $200 per child is going to make a difference for you. If you’ve got a family, two adults, three kids, that’s a family of five. That’s $1,000 extra coming to you in early January, right after the holiday season, when you get that first Visa bill after you have gone out and you’ve done what you could do for Christmas. This is something that’s going to make a difference for you.

These are things that you have to take into account.

Yes, we could have done something around the tax break that would have happened after you filed your taxes in March or April, whenever you would do that, and the period of time it would take for the federal government to go through their process and get it, but the fact of the matter is, people need that type of relief right now. They need to have that money in their pocket right now. Why do they need to have it in their pocket? Because the government took it out of their pocket when they taxed them for it.

We need to make sure that we are doing things that tax people less and less. We are the only government in recent history that has not had an increase in taxes or fees since we have been elected. When you go back to 2018, what was the world like in Ontario prior to that? What was happening with the Liberals? Well, they never saw a tax or an increase that they didn’t fall in love with—tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend.

We’re of the belief that what we need to be doing is treating you like an adult and making sure that we are letting you spend your money the way you think you should be spending it, instead of the nanny state that some of the other members of the opposition would like us to be in.

Even after we reduced the deficit, we’re still making investments to support growth in the province, and that’s why we were able to do things that we have been able to do in this. When you look at simple things, like extending the temporary gas and fuel tax cuts—we’re extending it now to June 30, 2025. That’s $380 that the average family in Ontario is going to have back in their pocket, rather than giving it to the government, and this is something that just makes sense.

In the fall economic statement, there are some technical things that we’ve had to do to extend that, and that’s part of what this legislation is. We know that we need to do more because when you face some of the challenges that the federal government has placed on us, the carbon tax is something that has increased the price of every single item that you’re buying.

The additional money that we’re giving back to you is going to make a difference for you because it’s your money. It’s not someone else’s. You should decide how you spend it, and this is a government that wants to treat people like the adults that they are and wants people to make the decision for themselves on how they spend their money. It should not be a Liberal decision. It should not be an NDP decision on how your money is spent. You should be deciding how you spend that money.

Not only that, but we eliminated the sticker fees for your licence plates. Now, this is something that I know that the opposition has come back and said, “This is a bad idea. Blah, blah, blah—it’s revenue, it’s revenue it’s revenue.” It’s not; it’s their money. Stop taking it from them. That’s what our approach is.

When you look at how this has been done, imagine a world where we have this device, a logic box called a computer, where the insurance company updates the government and tells them who has got insurance on which vehicle—imagine that. Imagine a world where, as a consumer, you’ve registered the vehicle that you have and you can cross-reference that vehicle with the insurance company’s information.

So why would I, as an individual, have to physically go into a ServiceOntario location with two pieces of paper: one piece of paper that the insurance company gave me that has the same information on it that they provided to the government, and a second piece of paper that the government gave to me that has the same information that the insurance company has and the same information that the government has because the government gave it to me?

I have to set that down on the table and explain that I’m renewing my licence plate and I’m going to have to pay you a fee for you to look at the information that you’ve already got that was given to you by the insurance company, that you gave to me for my car, and you’re going to charge me for the ability for me to stand in front of you for a couple of hours waiting in line to pay you. Well, I can’t imagine a world where we would have computer equipment that could do that quickly and automatically, and that’s one of the things that we’ve done. We’ve made that change because it makes sense.

Why wouldn’t you do that?

The reason that the opposition objected to it is, as they say, “You’ve reduced revenue.” No. We’ve stopped taking money from you that we didn’t need to take from you. It is a philosophical difference, absolutely. We firmly believe that the hard-earned money that you’ve got, you should keep. You should not be handing it over to someone else. You should not be having that someone else tell you how you should be spending it because, as an interesting thing, you’re an adult, and we believe you should be treated as an adult.

Speaker, I have gone way off. I’m only on page 4, so I didn’t make it through three pages and I’ve really ad-libbed here. But when I look at it from 100,000 feet, of course it really is about fiscal dollars and cents. And when we look at small and medium and even large dollar signs, when you look at our fiscal plan, our fiscal plan is something that really is working.

There are objections from the opposition constantly on this. “You shouldn’t do this; you shouldn’t do that; you shouldn’t do this; you’re doing it all wrong.” Here’s the cold, hard reality, Speaker: Since we took power in 2018, in six short years, government revenues, by reducing taxes, by reducing red tape, by cutting the cost of doing business—$59 billion. That is the increase in Ontario’s revenue. Contrast that to the opposition.

Let’s just take something that Bonnie Crombie has talked about. She’s floated the idea of a 1% tax increase to give that money to municipalities. How do you raise government revenues? Well, the opposition and the Liberals chirp constantly about, “You need to raise taxes. You need to raise taxes. You need to raise taxes.” If you want to know how to raise your government revenues, just look at what we have done.

Fifty-nine billion dollars is the increase in revenue to Ontario by cutting personal income tax, by giving tax relief to seniors, by giving tax relief to individuals, by cutting the cost of doing business in Ontario, by incentivizing businesses to do things, by reducing the cost of electricity in Ontario, by building infrastructure, and we’re headed towards a balanced budget. All of that by cutting taxes and cutting government fees and reducing the burden on the average person.

Interjection.

Mr. Dave Smith: My good colleague from Essex has just pointed out something as well. Our budget back in 2018 was significantly smaller than it is today, and in the fall economic statement, we’re talking about $212 billion in total spending and investments in this province.

One of the key things that we’re investing in is health care: 50 new hospitals or new builds within existing hospitals—50 of them. How many were done by the previous Liberal government? Well, I’ve got 10 fingers and thumbs on my two hands, and I can count on those two hands how many were done and still have fingers and thumbs left over. That’s how many were done by the previous government.

But I want to point out something else because some of the feedback that has come back to us is that we should be spending that $200 on health care instead because we don’t have enough doctors. Well, I’ll tell you what: If there was a doctor sitting on his couch right now, watching TV, saying, “You know, I wish I had a job,” they would already be hired. If there was a nurse sitting on their couch right now saying, “Geez, I wish I had a job,” we would have been hiring them, but the fact of the matter is that they don’t.

It takes between five and seven years to train a doctor. When the previous Liberal government cut the number of residents’ positions by 50, in their infinite wisdom, as the population was growing, they really were short-sighted in their approach. We would have 450 more doctors today in Ontario practising had they not made that foolish mistake.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that as your population grows, you need more health care professionals. You need more doctors and you need more nurses when you have more people. I think if you went to somebody in kindergarten and said, “If we have more people in the province next year than we have this year, do we need to have more doctors?”, I would hazard to bet that the class of kindergartners would say, “We need more doctors.” Yet the previous Liberal government said, “Screw that idea. We don’t need more doctors. That’s someone else’s problem to deal with.”

In our very first budget in 2019, we added 50 resident spots back to bring us back to be that point. Those doctors will be graduating from school this year. We have added a total of 402 spots. We have two new medical schools that are being built right now, and they’ll be taking students in the following year.

Help is on its way, but the challenge that we face—and it is one of those cold, hard realities—is that it will take between five and seven years to train a doctor, and we’re doing those things right now. Those are things that should have been done by the previous Liberal government 10 to 12 years ago. All they had to do was look at the population projections, because they had them. They could have looked at it and said, “When we go from 12 million people to 16 million people, we are going to need more doctors. We are going to need more nurses.”

We have almost 3,000 more spots in colleges and universities for nurses. It takes four years for an RN to be trained. That first tranche, that first cohort, are coming out this year as well. It takes two years for an RPN to be trained, and we have new RPNs coming into the system because they have been trained.

That leads me to a great thing that we’re doing. We added, in one of our budgets not that long ago, a Learn and Stay program. If you wanted to be a nurse, if you wanted to be a paramedic, if you wanted to be a health care professional in so many other ways, we have a Learn and Stay program. If you want to go off to a college or university and you’re going to work in an underserviced area, we’re going to help you out by covering your tuition cost on it. That is working. We’re seeing the benefits of it right now.

You know what we did, Speaker? We decided that we’re going to add that for family medicine. If you are a medical student, if you’re going to medical school and you want to become a doctor and you decide that you’re going to take up family medicine instead, we’re going to pick up the cost of tuition for you. All you have to do is be a family physician for five years. We’re picking up that cost because we want to see more Ontario high school graduates going off to college and university, going off to university in particular, to become a doctor. We want them to come back into the rest of Ontario and help, and we’re going to make it easier for them.

We’re the only province in Canada that has made it easier for a doctor anywhere else in this country to come to Ontario. It doesn’t matter where you practise in Canada. You could be licensed in Manitoba, you could be licensed in Nova Scotia, you could be licensed in the Yukon. We are going to recognize that licence if you want to come and practise in Ontario. We’re making it easier for you to do that. That’s all investments in health care. That is all things that we’re doing to make a positive difference for the people of this province.

Again, Speaker, I apologize to Colin for going way off topic here on this. I’m only on page 6 of what he’s written for me and I’m down to about two and a half minutes.

It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention Dr. Jane Philpott. We just made that announcement, just a week or so ago: Dr. Jane Philpott, former federal Liberal Minister of Health, one of the foremost experts in health care in Canada right now, and she has joined Premier Ford’s team to help. How can we adjust the system so that every person within the next five years who wants to have a family doctor will have a family doctor? We are building toward that. We currently lead the country in primary care, with about 88% of the residents of Ontario having primary care.

Just as an interesting note, since 2018, the population of Ontario has gone up by about 2.6 million people. Ironically, we are told it’s about 2.5 million who do not have primary care. Well, again, I’m going to come back to: Had the previous Liberal government not cut the spots by 50, had they actually done what they needed to do, we would not have a shortage of doctors today. But the fact of the matter is, they did, and we have 450 less doctors right now in Ontario as a direct result of foolish decisions made by previous governments, because they didn’t look beyond their own election cycle.

They only looked at “What can we do in four years”—and it takes five years to train a doctor. “Let someone else worry about that. It’s not our problem.” That’s not the approach that we’ve taken. We are looking at how we build Ontario in a way that is beneficial to everyone as we move forward.

My colleague from Northumberland–Peterborough South said it best: The front windshield of your car is significantly bigger than the rear-view mirror. Stop looking in the rear-view mirror. Look ahead. Look beyond. Because if you build that way, it is good for everyone. We’re demonstrating that you can reduce the cost of taxes, you can reduce the burden on business, you can reduce the burden on individuals and you can plan for the future. You can build the province the way it needs to be built. You can be looking after infrastructure, you can be looking after health care, you can be looking after education and you can be lifting up everybody in this province when you do that.

That’s the approach that we’ve taken from day one. That is a smart, intelligent approach. I’m looking forward to all of the questions from the opposition because I know they are going to focus on everything negative and tell us things that we should be doing that aren’t going to work, because none of their ideas have worked so far.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

Ms. Jessica Bell: Goodness gracious me—that’s quite a statement.

My question is to one of the three of you who spoke to talk about housing in the fall economic statement. Because when I look at what is the in fall economic statement and housing, I see that housing starts are down. I see that there is no serious investment in addressing homelessness and no serious investment in addressing affordable housing, even though this government has built about 1,067 affordable homes in six years, which is, quite frankly, pathetic.

What is this government’s plan to address the homelessness crisis in Ontario?

Mr. Dave Smith: If you take a look at what we have been doing over the last number of years, you’ll see that, actually, we are trying to address the housing crisis.

When I look at what the opposition member did, and voted against, when we increased the homelessness prevention fund for all Ontario municipalities—in my municipality in particular, we received almost 50% more to deal with the homelessness issue. On top of that, when you look at infrastructure that needs to be built so that we have the full suite of houses that we need across this entire province, let’s just look at the OMPF funding. We’ve increased it by $100 million—$100 million going to municipalities so that they can be building the infrastructure that needs to be built so that houses can be built. And we’re not just talking about one set of houses but the full suite of houses.

I invite the member to actually read not only our fall economic statement but our budget to see what we have been doing all along.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Tyler Allsopp: As a former municipal councillor from Belleville, Ontario, I know that municipalities have felt the pinch of higher prices and growing expenses just like families and businesses have. This government has stepped up on the past few budgets with supports like the Building Faster Fund or infrastructure support funding, and I have been looking forward to seeing what we are going to be doing again in this year’s 2024 fall economic statement.

So could the member from Milton please explain what we are doing to provide new supports to municipalities?

MPP Zee Hamid: Thank you for that great question from the member of Bay of Quinte, who, I might add, is an amazing and hard-working representative of his community.

As a former municipal councillor myself, I understand the value of municipalities and I can say with full confidence that, unlike the previous Liberals, when I was on the council at the time, we are true partners to municipalities.

While we know that all our municipalities have challenges, I think we can acknowledge that rural and northern communities have extra challenges. We’re continuing a historic investment to support our municipal partners by increasing the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, OMPF, by $100 million over the next two years. This funding will allow municipalities to fund the critical areas identified by each municipality and is especially there to help more northern and rural communities who need it the most.

Speaker, governments love to talk a big game, but we’re actually there for municipalities at every step of the way. While other parties have chosen to ignore rural municipalities and rural communities, we are once again stepping up and supporting the municipalities that play such a vital role—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you.

Further questions?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is about broken promises from this government.

The minister mentioned investments in GO Transit during his speech. In a bold 2022 election promise, the Premier committed to spend “an additional $160 million to improve the speed and frequency of” GO Transit “service between London and Toronto.” A few short months after the election, not only was that promise broken, but the service was cancelled entirely.

How can the minister or anyone from this government defend the Premier’s broken promises?

Mr. Dave Smith: It’s interesting that the member opposite wants to bring up transportation and wants to bring up how we’re doing those types of investments. Let’s just take a look at some of the things that we have done.

We actually have put in two-way, all-day GO across most of southwestern Ontario, and it is making a positive difference on it. We have cut the fares by doing something called One Fare, so now if you’re coming into the GTA and you hop on the GO train, guess what? You pay for the GO train. When you get here, your expenses, when it comes to Toronto transit, are also picked up by that. That’s saving people $1,600 a year. That is money that goes right back into their pocket. But of course, the member opposite voted against that.

It doesn’t matter what we have put forward that has been a good idea, that is making a positive difference for the people of this province, putting money back into their pockets. The members opposite vote against it.

As we move forward, Speaker, I’m looking forward to hear more of the promises that the Premier is making on how we’re going to cut those costs for everyone.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I want to thank the members that spoke here today.

Being a former employee of Ford Motor Co. and a Unifor member, I want to first thank the Unifor members who are supporting our party at this present time, especially the ones at 707.

In 2017, before I was elected, the former Liberal Minister of Finance, who I defeated in Mississauga–Lakeshore, said that the assembly line manufacturing was just a thing of the past.

What is our government doing in the automotive industry to attract more jobs here in the province of Ontario?

Mr. Dave Smith: It’s a shame I’ve got four minutes and five seconds left here, because I can eat that entire time when we talk about this.

The electric vehicle strategy—we are the only jurisdiction in the entire world that has it from natural resources to finished product. We have the entire supply chain here in Ontario, and it’s part of our process as we’re moving forward. In fact, Ontario is the greatest jurisdiction when it comes to electric vehicles now. We are the only ones who have the entire supply chain.

And what has that meant for us? Under the previous Liberals, 300,000 manufacturing jobs have left, but since 2018, 867,000 jobs have been created in this province because of the leadership of Premier Ford and what we’re doing. We’re taking it from the natural resources in the Ring of Fire all the way down to that finalized product that’s coming out.

Ontario is the leader in electric vehicles across the entire world.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I have a couple of questions, the first one being—I’ll put them together and you can answer them. I want to know if you can go one single day without mentioning the Ontario Liberal Party or if your love affair and obsession is too strong. That’s one. Two is, what is your government doing to combat the climate emergency? We know, from a million experts, but especially the Financial Accountability Officer, about the high cost of inaction, and all we’ve seen is inaction from this government on the climate front.

Mr. Dave Smith: I would love—love—to take more than the two minutes and 20 seconds that I have, but I know you’re going to cut me off after 60 seconds.

Let’s take a look at the electric vehicle marketplace and what we have done. We have a plan that is put forward, because we know that EVs are the way to go in the future. We know that is going to cut greenhouse gas emissions. We’re the only party that has come forward with an entire plan that makes sense, that is seeing results as we do these things.

The previous Liberal government—because she said I couldn’t get through my answer without mentioning them—put in chargers that took eight hours to charge an electric vehicle, and, of course, they objected when we ripped those out and we put in chargers that take 15 minutes to charge your vehicle.

We have the infrastructure that’s being built for electric vehicles, we have the highways being built that those electric vehicles are going to be driving on, and we have the electric vehicles being built here in Ontario.

Thank you very much for the question. I loved the opportunity to answer it.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I appreciate the energy of the member for Peterborough–Kawartha.

I listened to his comments, and he pointed out, quite rightly, that it takes a number of years to train family physicians. In my community in London West, we have 128,000 people who don’t have a family doctor. One of the things you could do while you are waiting for those graduates from medical school is provide administrative support to relieve the paperwork burden on the family physicians who are already practising.

Why is there nothing in this fall economic statement that supports family physicians to take in more patients?

Mr. Dave Smith: In the 30 seconds that I have—we have taken measures already to do things like that. We had a round table with multiple physicians on what those challenges are. We know that most family physicians were spending between 19 and 20 hours a week doing paperwork. We have reduced that burden. On top of that, we have started, with Dr. Jane Philpott, one of Ontario’s, one of Canada’s, leading experts on health care, and she is going through the entire process on what we should be doing better in health care to make it so that everybody can have that family doctor they’re looking for—and our target is five years from now.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you for that rousing debate.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): It is now time for members’ statements.

Members’ Statements

York Region Mental Health Community Care Hub

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Of the 197 local riding events in which I participated over the summer, 17 of these were announcements pertaining to investments in my great riding of Newmarket–Aurora. The one that I want to speak to this morning is the one that was held on July 3 in Newmarket, where, alongside the Minister of Health, we confirmed our government’s commitment to invest in the building of the new York Region Mental Health Community Care Hub, a facility that will streamline access to high-quality mental health and addictions services.

More than six years ago, I had discussions regarding gaps in our local mental health services with the Canadian Mental Health Association York Region and South Simcoe. And that day, on July 3, 2024, I delivered on my commitment to support this innovative hub that will be a 24/7, specialized community care facility for individuals 12 and above who need immediate mental health support, including 20 short-stay beds—this will be for ages 16 and over. It will connect people to needed care sooner and offer culturally appropriate services.

Speaker, this is just the beginning. I continue to deliver on my commitments to my community, which are focused on ensuring the well-being and growing of our economy.

Remembrance Day

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: During Remembrance Week, we participate in traditional services, wear poppies and observe a moment of silence to honour those who died serving our country in wars and in peacekeeping efforts.

In Parkdale–High Park, two local teachers, Katy Whitfield and Ian Da Silva, started a community commemoration project in 2020 called “They walked the streets... We will remember them.” It is a project to learn about and remember the soldiers in our community who served in the First and Second World Wars and never returned by sharing their stories; to remember that those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the wars weren’t only soldiers—they were also people, just like us. They were fathers and brothers, sons and daughters, neighbours and friends. They lived lives just like ours; they walked the same streets.

Every soldier’s story is told using an info card that documents their military service, accompanied by a QR code that allows the viewer to connect with the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, which provides more detail and documents about the soldier’s war experience. The info cards also feature the logos of the schools and churches they attended.

This initiative has grown to 11 memorial sites with stories of over 1,300 soldiers from Humbercrest, Bloor West Village, the Junction, High Park, Swansea, Roncesvalles and Parkdale. This type of storytelling helps community members connect with the soldiers’ experiences and helps the neighbourhood understand how it had been impacted by the world wars and by the loss of young men who served and who died in the wars.

Speaker, Katy and Ian have dedicated this project to all those who served, those who came home and those who continue to serve for Canada. I ask the House to join me in thanking them for their dedication to ensure that we will never forget.

Applause.

Fertility services

Ms. Christine Hogarth: It was a true honour and privilege last week to be part of a very important announcement in my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore to expand the Ontario Fertility Program. On October 24, I joined Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance for the announcement of a $150-million investment to help families in need receive publicly funded fertility treatment.

It is an issue that many women and families have thought about and—more than you think—some your friends and families have experienced. In my own conversations with several women in my community and across the province, the stories come up time and time again. In 2019, Minister Tangri and I both co-authored a letter on this to the then Minister of Health, Christine Elliott.

Today, I want to acknowledge all the brave voices from my riding and across the province who have shared their struggles in their fertility journey with me. I also want to give a special shout-out to the ReproMed facility in Etobicoke–Lakeshore, where this announcement was made. During the announcement, I got a chance to witness first-hand this amazing facility that has helped numerous couples struggling with infertility build their families. With their valuable knowledge and technology to achieve more successful patient outcomes, the ReproMed team has given a lifeline to families whose dreams of having children felt impossible.

To all the individuals and families from Etobicoke–Lakeshore who have shared their personal journeys with me and advocated for this cause: Help is here. This expansion will triple the number of families connected to government-funded fertility services. This truly reflects our PC government’s commitment to support families across our province.

Cycling infrastructure

Ms. Jessica Bell: This is a letter—I’d like to read it out—from Karen, George and Rebecca Amaro.

“Our daughter Alexandra Amaro was killed on her bike as she left Dufferin Mall Dec. 2, 2020.

“Alex was 23. Like a lot of city kids, she didn’t yet have her driver’s licence. Her bike was her ride.

“There are no words to describe the everlasting, devastating heartbreak of living with such sudden, tragic loss, especially knowing that it was preventable.

“Guaranteed, that if either of you or anyone within Ontario’s Legislative Assembly lost a family member or close friend so tragically while cycling city streets, this pre-election push to restrict bike lanes within Toronto and other municipalities would not be on the table.

“Minister Sarkaria, you say that this bike lane legislation is about ‘giving people more time with their families.’

“Our family would give anything to have more time with Alex; to hug her, to speak with her, to celebrate holidays and life milestones ... to see what a difference she would be making in this world today....

“Please drop this aggressive attack on cyclists and turn your attention to delivering action in other areas that is your responsibility—like affordable housing.

“Sincerely,

“Karen, George and Rebecca Amaro”—Alex’s parents and sister. Thank you.

Kinsmen Super TV Bingo

Mr. Dave Smith: I got a text from Billy Walker telling me to speak slower.

Saturday, October 26 was the start of the Kinsmen Super TV Bingo season. This season is 28th year that the Kinsmen have been broadcasting from CHEX TV studios in Peterborough.

When the TV bingo first moved to CHEX, it was owned by Power Broadcasting and it was a CBC affiliate. Now it’s a Global affiliate owned by Corus Entertainment. I bring this up because Super TV Bingo has become such an institution. It’s survived multiple owners of the station and two different broadcast affiliates.

Reed Manley has been the driving force behind bingo since Peterborough Kinsmen took over the broadcast. You can catch him behind the camera, calling bingo, on Saturday nights at 7 o’clock just before Hockey Night in Canada. Darrel Junkin and Dave Ronson also share duties with Reed as the bingo callers. When they aren’t on camera, they’re doing other tasks behind the scenes. I have to tell you, Speaker, it actually is an awful lot of fun. I volunteer on the phones on most Saturdays myself. But what it really does is, it provides a huge resource for our communities from the GTA to Gravenhurst and all the way east past Brockville.

Last year alone, $650,000 was given to over 350 organizations, like Campbellford Memorial Hospital, Camp Maple Leaf, the Bowmanville Salvation Army, Gananoque Food Bank, Hospice North Hastings, Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre, Community Living Georgina, Kawartha Food Share, Brock Mission and more than 30 school breakfast programs.

Thank you to all of the Kin members who give up their time to “Serve the Community’s Greatest Needs.”

Government accountability

M me France Gélinas: We all know now that this province is going $3 billion further into debt so that the government can send a $200 cheque to every adult and child in this province. If the government thinks that that will make the people of Ontario forget that they don’t have a family doctor, their home care worker doesn’t show up half the time, their kids can’t drink the water in their school because of old lead pipes, I think they’re dreaming, Speaker.

I suppose the family can spend this money on a tablet and a streaming service so they can sit for 20 to 30 hours or longer in the emergency department or use that money for extra gas to drive to the next town because the emergency department in their community has been shut down.

As Ontarians decide how to spend the 200 bucks the government has borrowed on their behalf, 2,000 people sick enough to be admitted into a hospital will be in a hallway or a bathroom; cancer patients still pay out of pocket for take-home cancer drugs; children’s aid societies in Algoma and North Bay are close to bankruptcy; 30,000 children are on the wait-list for mental health services and 73,000 are on the autism wait-list; parks in communities across our province are filled with homeless encampments; not to mention no movement on the four-laning of Highway 69.

Yet this Premier and this government are ignoring these problems and adding $3 billion to the deficit in a shameless attempt to buy votes.

Diwali

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Today, I rise to celebrate the vibrant festival of Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, observed by millions around the world, including many in my diverse community in my own riding of Richmond Hill, as well as in Ontario.

As the lights of Diwali are to illuminate our homes, they remind us of the shared values of love, peace and togetherness that unite us all, regardless of our backgrounds.

In my riding, Richmond Hill is a rich tapestry of cultures, home to diverse communities including Iranian, Jewish, Chinese, Italian and many others. Each group contributes to the vibrant fabric of our society, particularly our lively south Asian population.

As we celebrate Diwali, let us remember the importance of inclusivity and the strength that comes from our differences. I encourage everyone to join in the festivities, whether through community events or simply sharing in the joy of this special occasion with friends and neighbours.

To all those celebrating Diwali in Richmond Hill and beyond, I wish you all a joyful festival filled with love and light. May the coming year bring you peace and happiness.

Government accountability

Mr. Adil Shamji: Yesterday, I listened intently as the Minister of Finance delivered his fall economic statement. If it made one thing clear, it’s that this government’s priorities are not Don Valley East’s priorities. But this isn’t surprising coming from a Premier who said this summer that Don Valley East is “a sleepy little neighbourhood in the suburbs that no one goes to.”

My constituents tell me about their struggles finding a family doctor. They tell me how frustrating it is to drive down Eglinton and see empty Crosstown tracks without any sign of the LRT. They tell me how expensive their rent is and how long it takes to get landlord-tenant issues resolved at the LTB. The fall economic statement offered far too little for my constituents. There is no funding to increase the number of family doctors, no plan to finally open the endlessly delayed Eglinton Crosstown, and there is not even a mention of the Landlord and Tenant Board, let alone a plan to address the backlog.

We all noticed that the government has tried to promise a one-time cheque. That cheque might help pay the first month’s rent, but not the second. It might help pay the first week’s groceries, but not the next. It might help pay for a child’s winter coat, but not their winter boots.

This government offered nothing to help bring down the cost of homes or groceries, create better-paying jobs or deliver any kind of permanent tax relief for small businesses or everyday Ontarians.

With that said, there was one thing that the Minister of Finance said which I do agree with: There is so much more work to do. I just wish it was more for you.

Quinte Business Achievement Awards

Mr. Tyler Allsopp: I rise today to talk about the 28th annual Quinte Business Achievement Awards that took place at the National Air Force Museum of Canada last Friday. I have to say, if you are coming to Quinte West, you must stop at the National Air Force Museum—absolutely incredible. I’d like to thank all the organizers, the volunteers, the chamber of commerce and everyone who worked so hard to make this event truly incredible.

Speaker, I’d like to take a moment to congratulate all the winners this year:

—Retail Business of the Year: Kraft Village;

—Hospitality/Tourism Business of the Year: Meyer’s Creek Brewing Co.;

—Regulated Professions Business of the Year: Hitchon’s Hearing Centre;

—Trades/Construction Services Business of the Year: Luke Joseph Carpentry;

—Manufacturing Business of the Year: JBS Foods Ontario;

—Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Brandon O’Quinn;

—New Business of the Year: Base 31;

—New Business of the Year: Mike and Lori’s Garden;

—Not-for-Profit of the Year: the Alzheimer Society;

—Tech Sector Business of the Year: Rillea Technologies Inc.;

—Business Person of the Year: Tim McKinney;

—Agribusiness Business of the Year: Cheer Farms;

—Health and Wellness Business of the Year: Fearless Wellness Centre;

—Sustainability of the Year: Afiya Beauty;

—Trailblazer of the Year: GlobalMed Inc. D.B.A. APTYX; and

—Business Excellence: McDougall Insurance.

Congratulations to all the winners and all the nominees as well for everything that you are doing for business and for our community in Bay of Quinte. Thank you very much. Let’s give them a round of applause.

Halloween message

Mr. Matthew Rae: Trick or treat: There may be little ghosts and goblins running around this evening, but what we really need to be afraid of is the federal Liberal-NDP coalition government haunting our paycheques and taking more money out of our pockets. Ontarians know this bone-chilling reality too well, when 300,000 manufacturing jobs vanished into thin air and energy prices rose from the grave to haunt our wallets.

But beware: With the Crombie Liberals, we’re not only stepping into a dream world; we’re opening up Pandora’s jack-o’-lantern, where budgets balance themselves and money grows on trees under a full moon’s light. And don’t say “carbon tax, carbon tax, carbon tax” three times fast in front of a mirror or carbon tax Crombie will appear and take all of your money.

And what’s this, Speaker? Another traffic nightmare on Bloor Street; another frightful inconvenience for Ontarians. But the spooky coalition’s worst nightmare is a government that slashes taxes, puts more money back in people’s pockets and gets things done. Because, at the end of the day, we don’t need trickery, Speaker; we need treat-worthy results.

Happy Halloween, everyone.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today some special guests: Her Excellency Tjorven Bellmann, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada. Her Excellency is accompanied by Ms. Kristina Thony, who is the consul general of the Federal Republic of Germany in Toronto and Mr. Florian Schrieverhoff, who is the attaché of culture, press and economic affairs.

Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests to the Legislative Assembly today.

Applause.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I would like to warmly welcome Michau van Speyk and Alina Cameron, amazing advocates from the Ontario Autism Coalition. It’s so great to have you here.

Hon. Michael Parsa: I, too, want to welcome both Alina and Michau. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to welcome Alicia Soares from Karis Disability Services, who’s joined by my friend Irene Moore. My Irene has held various positions at Karis Disability Services, including executive director. But, Irene will be retiring after 35 years of dedicated service to people with diverse abilities.

Irene, thank you so much for everything that you do. I look forward to meeting you after question period. Enjoy retirement.

Mrs. Robin Martin: I wanted to introduce Bialik Hebrew Day School. They’re not here at the moment, but I know they’re coming in shortly. We’ve had Bialik classes here almost every day or every day this week. Today, it’s the grade 5 class from Bialik. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: She’s not here yet but will be joining us very soon. I would like to introduce and welcome my OLIP intern for this term, Sayyidah Jaffer.

Hon. Doug Downey: I’d like to welcome Peter George, Paul Mondell and Danielle Burton visiting us today in the Speaker’s gallery.

Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: I would like to introduce some very special guests who are with us today. They recently attended the Nigerian Canadian Celebrities Entertainment Awards in Toronto, where they recognize Nigerian community members for being leaders and role models in humanitarian work, entertainment and entrepreneurship. Here with us today we have Temidayo Enitan, Bolaji Amusan, Odunlade Adekola, Prophet Israel Oladele and Afeez Owo. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: I would like to welcome Prabhleen Kaur all the way from Punjab, India. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Question Period

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. The hard-working people of Ontario have invested in this province. They expect to see a government that will invest in them. But yesterday’s fall economic statement makes it very clear that people are not getting what they paid for. Housing starts are down. Transit projects are delayed. Health care waits are increasing. And the cost of living wasn’t even worth a mention in their book.

If this government is not building homes or getting people medical care when they need it and can’t even get gauze to home care patients, has this government not failed the people of this province?

Interjections.

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

To reply, the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite, I just heard that she said that the cost of living wasn’t addressed: Where have you been since day one? This government has been putting money back in the pockets of people since day one. Let’s start with the gas tax. We provided relief at the pumps, the licence plate stickers—relief there.

It was that government, the Liberal government, supported by the NDP, that put the tolls on the 412 and the 418. Now this is a government that has been helping people, putting money back in their pockets. It’s that opposition party, along with the Liberals—for 15 years they had their hands in the pockets of people, taking money out. It’s this government that’s putting money back in their pockets.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, where has this minister been? The economic update speaks for itself. Unemployment is up. Check your own numbers: rent, housing costs—skyrocketing. Ontario is once again forced to go cap in hand to Justin Trudeau for equalization payments—shameful. This province was once the economic engine of Canada. Look at where we are now under this government’s watch.

Back to the Premier again: If this government is not building homes and not fixing schools and not hiring doctors, what are you doing?

Interjections.

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

I remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I mean, I know it’s Halloween, but I just don’t get what—who is that person?

Mr. Speaker, for 15 years, what did we see in the economy? We saw the tail lights of 300,000 manufacturing jobs leave for the US. Under this Premier, under this government and all of us here, we’re rebuilding that economy. Jobs are coming back to Ontario.

We’re leading. If we were a country, we would be leading the G20, and we would be that big to be in the G20, leading economic growth, bringing prosperity right across Ontario. I don’t know which province the member opposite is living in, but this is a province that’s created almost 200,000 new jobs just this year, Mr. Speaker. The sun is rising again in that province, an economic engine in that province called Ontario. It’s sunny days again.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Taking a lesson from their buddy Justin Trudeau once again, eh? Look at that. That tells you a lot.

Listen, I’ll tell you, Speaker, what they’ve been doing: building luxury spas in downtown Toronto that nobody wanted; fighting nurses and education workers in court to nickel-and-dime them; hemorrhaging public dollars to private health care companies.

They are under criminal investigation by the RCMP for their greenbelt scandal—and let me say, Speaker, that scheme didn’t build a single home in the province of Ontario. What a waste of space.

If you can’t deliver on the basic responsibilities of a government, then do you not think maybe it’s time you got out of the way?

Interjections.

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

Order. Government side, come to order.

Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: They are using the same old, tired lines—same old, same old, same old. In the meantime, we understand that the cost of living for many people in this province—they’re struggling with grocery prices, the cost of gas, the cost of housing and other costs. That’s why, because of the tax revenues and because of our stewardship of the economy and the fiscal situation, we’re able to put that growth and revenue back into the pockets of the people of Ontario. That’s why we’re giving a $200 tax rebate.

A family of five will get $1,000—think about that—to help with those groceries, to help with those travel costs, and maybe be able to afford a little bit more over the holiday period. This is a government that has been working to put money back into the hard-working hands of the people of Ontario.

Government’s record

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’ll say, Speaker, first of all, that affordability crisis, that skyrocketing cost of living, that’s this government’s legacy. That’s this government’s legacy after six years in power—six long years.

I want to dig a little bit more into this government’s record. With this government and this Premier, Ontarians, as I said, are not getting what they paid for. While Ontarians are stuck in the same place at the end of each month, the best that this Premier and this government can offer are stale ideas and empty promises.

Let’s look at housing. In yesterday’s fiscal update, here’s what we learned: housing starts, down; housing targets, out of reach; housing crisis gets worse by the day; mortgage payments, loan payments, down payments.

Can this government explain to Ontarians why housing is no longer a priority for their government?

Interjections.

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

To reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Just for a second, let’s unpack what she just said. She talked about the skyrocketing cost of mortgage prices. Now, why do we have skyrocketing mortgage prices across the province of Ontario and across the country? Because the Liberal and NDP coalition in Ottawa, their tax-and-spend policies led to higher interest rates because inflation went through the roof. It’s the same policies that that crew put in place here in the province of Ontario that have put us in crisis, that we have been unravelling year after year after year.

The interest rate increases were the fastest increases in the shortest amount of time in the history of the country. It was this Premier who took to the microphone and called on the federal government to do its

part in reducing those interest rates, and do you know what the underlying theme was? The NDP continued to prop up another failed Liberal government, when they could have taken them down, like they could have in Ontario, ended the misery and brought a good strong, stable, Conservative government—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Order. It’s getting increasingly noisy in here. I’m asking both sides of the House to come to order. I’m going to start calling members out individually, if need be, to maintain order in this House as we continue with question period.

Start the clock. The supplementary question.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Look, you don’t have to take it from me; you have to just look at the government’s own fiscal update, your own update. Housing starts are down. They are nowhere near meeting their own targets. One and a half million homes by 2031 is a pipe dream. Housing starts, down; housing targets, out of reach; housing crisis, worse by the day; six years, wasted; task force recommendations, ignored.

When will this Premier finally say yes to making housing more affordable, yes to our Homes Ontario plan and yes to getting people in Ontario the help that they need?

Interjections.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke will come to order.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing can reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Let’s be very clear, Mr. Speaker: Before the rapid increase in interest rates that were brought on by the high-inflation policies of the Liberal and NDP coalition in Ottawa, we were building more homes than ever before in recorded history of the province—and not just single, detached homes but purpose-built rentals. Interest rates increased and you know what happened? The people who build communities had to put their shovels down. The people who wanted to buy their first home couldn’t afford to buy their first home.

This Premier stood up and said the interest rates have to come down. We’re finally starting to see them come down while we’re continuing to work to unravel the mess that they left behind—but I’m sure Canadians and Ontarians have such comfort.

The NDP want to start the NDP home-building contracting company. For $150 billion, you can get a home build by the Leader of the Opposition—a recipe for disaster. Nobody wants it.

But I challenge you: Bring down the federal government and let’s get the economy moving across Canada.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. I will remind the House to make their comments through the Chair.

The member for Ottawa Centre will come to order. The member for Don Valley East will come to order. The Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries will come to order.

Start the clock. The final supplementary.

Ms. Marit Stiles: In the words of the great Eminem, will the real Premier of Ontario please stand up?

These answers do not change the facts. Housing starts are down. Costs are up. But instead of doing his job, the Premier keeps blaming everyone but himself.

Here are three things that this Premier could do right away to build more homes: Allow fourplexes, increase density near transit and, yes, say yes to building truly affordable homes in the province of Ontario. Support our Homes Ontario plan.

Speaker, will the Premier finally do his job and build the homes that people are waiting for?

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Just one second, Premier.

The Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development will come to order. The Minister of Red Tape Reduction will come to order. The government House leader will come to order.

We will now start the clock. The Premier can reply.

Hon. Doug Ford: Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I couldn’t hear you from all the cackling on the other side there. You know, you just took a hat trick away from my good friend Minister Calandra.

I can tell you one thing. I just heard you say—everyone was shouting and screaming—I thought you said build density on top of the TOCs on transit. You voted against that. You voted against that when our infrastructure minister and Minister of Housing put that forward. So you may have to read your book again.

You voted against making sure we did the BFF, the Building Faster Fund; you voted against that. We were giving municipalities across the province targets to hit and gave hundreds of millions of dollars away for them.

You voted against the highways and the roads that are going to get people to these new communities. You voted against the GO trains that are going to new communities. You voted against the largest transit project in North America, to get people there until we can build condos on top of these stations—

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

Government accountability

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: My question is to the Premier. The crisis in health, housing and affordability experienced right across the province is magnified in the north, especially for First Nations. The fall economic statement is not meant for people living in northern Ontario.

Does the Premier think he has done enough for the people in the north with this fall economic statement?

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Mr. Speaker, through you, I thank the member opposite for the very serious question.

Since day one, this government has opened up the north and supported the north like we haven’t seen for decades. As my distinguished colleague the Minister of Mines mentioned to me, in 1996, the population in the north peaked. Do you know what’s happening now under this government? The population now is starting to grow again in the north, because they’re seeing support. They’re seeing support like they’ve never seen.

In fact, the Premier was just up in Sudbury announcing a waste water infrastructure investment to help build 3,300 new homes in Sudbury. We just announced yesterday in the fall economic statement an increase of $100 million to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund to help 320 northern, small and rural communities in the north. In fact—

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

Supplementary question?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I know they may be opening up the north, but there’s still a crisis that’s happening in the north. I was just in a community over the weekend. It’s unbelievable when you see three caskets in a church. There’s a crisis happening.

But I want to say this, Speaker: Back in 2018, the Premier promised to build 76 much-needed long-term-care beds in Sioux Lookout. In May, the Premier again promised to get it done. But yesterday’s fall economic statement does not deliver the new long-term-care beds for the elders who have been waiting.

I ask again, Speaker: When will this government provide the long-overdue long-term-care beds in Sioux Lookout?

Interjections.

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

Again, the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Through you again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member and acknowledge the member opposite for agreeing with us that we’re opening up the north—long overdue, but it’s this government that is getting it done, if we just think of some of the things like the mobile crisis unit, the increased funding in Thunder Bay that we just announced; if you think about the northern travel grant increase to $45 million, helping for health care in the north; if you think about the Homelessness Prevention Program that we increased by 40%, which benefits many of the communities in the north.

Just last week, the Premier, the Minister of Health and I were privileged to announce the Learn and Stay program for medical students. Students who study in Thunder Bay and Sudbury and many parts of the north, if they stay in those communities, we’ll pay their medical tuition and expenses for them. This is a game changer for many medical students—7,300 medical students.

We’re doing a lot for the north and we’re going to continue to build the prosperity in the north.

Taxation

Mrs. Robin Martin: We’ve heard loud and clear from people all over the province that due to the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax, which is truly scary, life is just too expensive. When they go to the grocery store, they’re feeling the pinch. When they go to fill up on gas, they’re feeling the pinch. When they pay their mortgages and bills, they’re feeling the pinch. That is not right; in Ontario, people should be optimistic.

Speaker, can the Minister of Finance please explain more about what our government can do to support Ontarians at a time when the price of everything is being driven up by the scary Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax?

Interjections.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: I heard a boo.

Thank you to the member for Eglinton–Lawrence for that question. Where are you? You’re over there now. Okay, well, thank you for that question.

I think about this carbon tax. You just mentioned the carbon tax. We cut the gas tax. We’re providing relief at the pumps: the gas prices, fuel and diesel for our truckers, the 5.3 cents for them. This is really having an impact on the people who move the food, the groceries, the goods right across the province.

Do you know what’s happening with the support of that NDP party and that Liberal Party up in Ottawa? They’re increasing the tax again in April, Mr. Speaker. So one group of parties have their hand in your pockets, trying to take money out and make life more difficult, and there’s another party, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, that is putting money back in the hard-working pockets of the people of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll again remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

Supplementary question.

Mrs. Robin Martin: Every day, Ontarians are feeling the financial squeeze due to the truly scary Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax. Groceries are more expensive, monthly bills are tougher to manage, and high inflation is stretching people’s budgets. And the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax, as the minister said, is only making things worse. Families in my riding and across Ontario are feeling the impact, and it’s becoming harder just to get by.

We know that our government is working hard to keep life affordable, but with all these pressures, people are looking for more help. Speaker, can the minister please tell us how the government is helping Ontarians cope with the high cost of living by putting more of their money back into their pockets?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you again to the member from Eglinton–Lawrence for that question. Mr. Speaker, let’s do a little compare and contrast. When they were in power for 15 years, who put tolls on the 412 and the 418? The NDP and Liberals. Who increased the wine tax and the beer tax? Who increased the driver’s licence fees? Who increased the employer health tax? Do you remember that one? “I’m not going to raise any taxes,” and they did that almost on day one.

Now, help me out here, Mr. Speaker. Who cut the gas tax?

Interjections: We did.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Who cut the beer tax and froze the beer tax?

Interjections: We did.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: The member from Niagara, who cut the wine tax?

Interjection: We did.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Absolutely. Who cut the tolls on the 412 and the 418?

Interjections: We did.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: And who is going to keep cutting taxes and putting fees and money back in the pockets of the hard-working people in Ontario? We are.

Government accountability

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is for the Premier. There’s been a lot of talk, so much talk, about housing in this House, but very, very little action. The lack of affordable housing in Ontario is a humanitarian crisis, and based on this fall economic statement, this government has pretty much given up on addressing this crisis. Housing starts are down again. The government has cut its own target to 81,000 homes, which is nowhere near the predicted 125,000 homes. They’ll never hit the target of 1.5 million at this rate.

To make matters worse, the government hasn’t even tried to access the federal $250 million that they put on the table to work with provinces to address encampments. Those encampments have exploded, actually, in our ridings across the province. They’re not even willing to address this crisis around homelessness.

So to the Premier: When will the government correct its failed course and focus on building truly attainable, affordable housing and start leading for the people of this province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Well, Mr. Speaker, we led the charge on removing the HST for purpose-built rentals. We invested over $3 billion in new funding for municipalities to help fund the housing-enabling infrastructure fund. This includes $1.2 billion in funding for those who meet the exceeded housing targets. We expanded that by giving $120 million to small, rural and northern municipalities that have not been assigned housing targets already.

We’ve invested over $42 million to help enrol approximately 5,100 new households in the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit program, better known as the COHB program, this year. This is on top of the 22,700 households already receiving the COHB benefits as of March 31, 2024. Mr. Speaker, they voted against every one of those bills.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: Clearly not working, Speaker. In fact, this is a government that is running from the RCMP all the way into an early election. That’s what this Premier’s focus has been on.

Listen, Speaker, by their own figures, this government is failing. It can’t hit its own targets. In fact, it’s actually making life worse for Ontarians: 30,000 children are on a wait-list for mental health; 83,000 children are waiting for autism services; 234,000 homeless people in this province. That is your record, and it’s a painful reminder, I think, of how lost this government is, but it’s Ontarians who are paying the price.

Instead of real solutions, we get a $200 cheque scheme, costing $3 billion, Speaker. I have to say, this is money that is so needed in health care and education, and it will undoubtedly go as well as the LCBO paper bag debacle, quite honestly. And the scandals, scams, beer promises, this is what we get from this government under a criminal investigation by the RCMP.

When can Ontarians expect a government that will show up for them and work for them instead of yourselves?

Interjections.

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

I’m going to ask the member for Waterloo to withdraw the unparliamentary comment.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Withdraw.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Bay of Quinte will come to order.

To reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, Mr. Speaker, it shows the inadequacy, really, of the opposition. For the opposition—there’s a show that everybody used to watch and some guy used to say that winter is coming. For the NDP, winter is coming every single day. Do you know why? Because it drives them crazy that the economy and that the government is on the right track. She called cutting taxes and putting money back into the pockets of the people of Ontario “a scheme.” So all of those people who are going to be getting money back in their pockets, it’s a scheme.

When you go to work every single day, you work really hard, you pay taxes, you raise your family, apparently according to the NDP, you’re scheming.

Earlier in question period, the Leader of the Opposition dared us to call an election. Now they are saying don’t call an election. What is it?

What you can do is this: Support the policies that have brought more jobs to Ontario, support the policies that are bringing more transit and transportation. You were silent when we were building more—

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

Energy policies

Ms. Christine Hogarth: My question is for the Minister of Energy and Electrification. Minister, families in my riding are struggling with rising costs. Life just keeps getting more expensive and many are worried about just getting by.

When the Liberals were in charge, energy costs went way up. Families couldn’t keep up and, sadly, many had to choose between eating or heating. Now the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax is pushing prices even higher. Heating our homes, buying groceries and filling up at the gas station—everything costs more because of this regressive tax. On April 1, 2024, the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax went up another 23%.

Speaker, can the minister please tell us how our government is changing our energy policies along with the opposition to this unfair tax, and how will that keep our energy affordable?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for being a strong champion for the people of Toronto and a leader in our caucus who is standing up for affordability.

Mr. Speaker, this debate in the House today is most ironic. The Leader of the Opposition commenced her QP round talking about affordability. She must have missed the mark when we cut and extended the gas tax, saving 5 cents a litre for every single commuter in the province of Ontario. She must have missed the mark when we introduced the Affordable Energy Act to end the perilous policies of the Liberals that left us skyrocketing energy rates, as we now will ensure that affordability and competition is what informs every single energy procurement we make.

She must have missed the mark when we went to the Supreme Court to litigate against the carbon tax that is now adding 20 cents a litre when it increases for the fourth time in April.

Our government is standing up for affordability. We’ve codified it in legislation. I urge the members opposite to put their money where—

Interjections.

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

The member for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas will come to order. The member for Waterloo will come to order.

Supplementary question?

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Thank you, Minister. Families in my riding are deeply concerned about the impacts of rising energy costs on their daily lives. Many are already stretching every dollar to cover the basics like food, transportation and home heating. They remember the Liberal government’s policies that led to soaring electricity bills, taking a big chunk out of their household budget. Now the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax is adding even more pressure. Each day, it increases and it’s harder to keep up, whether it’s for shopping for gas, groceries or electricity.

Families are asking for relief; they’re not asking for added costs. Can the minister please explain how the Affordable Energy Act will help protect families like the families in Etobicoke from rising costs and provide a stable, affordable energy future?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Yes, we must move forward with an affordable future for our children and grandchildren as we build out a vision for the province where we can deliver energy security for our industry, our farmers and our people. And we’re doing that without imposing higher taxes on working families.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take us back. Remember the days, the headlines: at the CBC, “Auditor General Blasts Kathleen Wynne’s ‘Fair Hydro Plan;’” at Global News, “Billion Dollar ‘Mistake:’ Ontario Liberals ‘Hijacked’ Plans for Sustainable Green Economy;” and the Globe saying, “Ontario’s Wynne Says She Regrets Handling of Electricity Prices.”

We have enough case studies that we know we can never go back to the reckless policies of higher energy and taxes under the Liberals, which is why the Premier has led the way with an Affordable Energy Act that codifies affordability, nuclear energy, mass expansion of conservation and a commitment to using technology, not taxation, to reduce emissions for the people of Ontario.

Northern highway improvement

MPP Jamie West: The Conservative fall economic statement won’t deliver on Highway 69 again. For six years, the Conservative government has promised to finish four-laning Highway 69, and for six years, they have failed. There’s not a single kilometre, not a single shovel in ground. They haven’t even tendered a contract.

When it comes to insider projects like a tunnel under the 401 or luxury spas, the Conservative government will move mountains. But when it comes to people dying on northern highways, the Conservative government makes excuses.

My question is, when will the Premier finally keep his promise to four-lane Highway 69?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: This government has invested more in the north than any other government in previous history. When the former Liberal government, for 15 years, did absolutely nothing, the NDP sat back and cancelled projects like the Northlander. It’s a shame. But this government, under the Premier, is investing. That is why our government, in June 2022, completed construction of an additional 14 kilometres of new lanes. To date, 84 kilometres of Highway 69 have been expanded to four lanes, and we’re going to continue to do that.

But Mr. Speaker, every single time in this House, when there’s been a vote on Highway 69 and the funding to support more construction and design work, guess what? That member from Sudbury has voted against it every single time, and that’s a shame. Our government supports growth in the north. That member over there has voted against every single one of those investments, whether it’s been Highways 11/17 or 69, or whether it’s been projects like the Northlander. That’s a shame, but we will always support the north and invest.

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

MPP Jamie West: There has been zero legislation, zero effort on Highway 69. What he’s saying isn’t factual at all. The only thing they’re good at constructing is excuses.

Like the Liberals, they have been promising time and time again that they will complete this. The Liberals promised over 15 years and broke the promise. The Conservatives started promising in 2018; they promised again in 2022. They keep breaking their promises. There’s a pattern of over two decades of this government breaking promises to four-lane Highway 69. Meanwhile, Sudburians keep dying.

The question: The Premier first made his promise in 2018. It’s 2024, six years later. Will he finally keep his promise to four-lane Highway 69?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to caution the member on his choice of words and his use of language.

The Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: That member sounds a bit defensive because that’s all he can do right now, Mr. Speaker. Because if you look at his record, he’s voted against supporting growth in the north, whether that be the four-laning of Highway 69 that he’s asking about today, the design work, the expansion of that project—every single one of those is a part of our plan to build and expand highways over the next 10 years for $27 billion. And what does that member do when he has the chance to support it? He votes against those projects, Mr. Speaker.

When it comes to Highway 11/17, whether it’s been improvements to snow clearing, whether it’s been improvements to making sure we invest on the safety element of it, that member over there has voted against that, Mr. Speaker. And when this government has put forward investments in the north, whether it be in mining or legislation in mining to help improve communities like Sudbury, to get more growth up there, what does that member do? Whether it’s highways, whether it’s transit or whether it’s investing in mining, that member for Sudbury votes against it every single time and that’s—

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

The next question.

Fertility services

Mr. Vincent Ke: My question is for the Minister of Health. This past Sunday, my family and I experienced a profound joy as we welcomed the arrival of my first grandchild. Moments like these show how significant and life-changing the gift of family truly is.

Speaker, reflecting on this, I cannot help but think of the many couples who are struggling to achieve this same joy due to fertility challenges. For them, the path to parenthood is often complex, not only physically and emotionally but also financially.

Can the Minister of Health explain what this government is doing to support families who struggle with the financial burdens associated with fertility treatments in Ontario?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Congratulations. While I am not looking forward to being a grandparent, I am very happy for your joy.

Last week, when the Minister of Finance and the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore, the Minister of Long-Term Care and, of course, the member from Newmarket–Aurora were able to visit an Etobicoke fertility clinic, ReproMed, we saw directly what an investment like this will mean and what an impact it will have on families.

I am incredibly proud of the investment that our government has been able to make through the fall economic statement: $150 million over two years to expand IVF for families who are desperately wanting to celebrate expanding their family. It is indeed exciting news and I’m very proud that our government was able to do that.

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

Mr. Vincent Ke: Thank you to the Minister of Health for this encouraging news about increased funding for fertility treatments.

I commend the government for its commitment to supporting families who dream of expanding and experiencing the joys of parenthood. For many Ontarians, the journey to becoming parents can be financially overwhelming and this support demonstrates a meaningful step toward alleviating some of those burdens.

Speaker, accessible support for fertility should be seen as part of this government’s commitment to helping all Ontarians realize their dreams of building a family.

Can the minister provide additional information about how many Ontario families will be eligible to participate in the tax credit?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Of course, in addition to the $150 million over two years for specifically expanding IVF treatments, we also have a tax credit now available for families, because there are often additional costs that are incurred when families are going through fertility treatments. The fertility tax credit of $150 million means that families who want to expand their families are going to have that opportunity, and they have a government who has their back and is supporting them in that journey.

Skilled trades

Ms. Natalie Pierre: My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The skilled trades offer a viable and rewarding career path for young people and job seekers in Ontario. Unlike the previous Liberal government that left behind a generational labour shortage in their wake, our government is creating more opportunities for people across the province to pursue a high-earning and fulfilling career in the trades.

We often hear the minister talk about how we are breaking down the stigma around trades and building a strong workforce, but people in my riding want to hear about the personal impact of these changes. They want to know about the individual lives that have been changed as a result of this important work.

Can the minister please share with the House what he is hearing from workers, students and employers on the ground?

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you to the member for that question. What a champion of young men and women in the trades. I was absolutely thrilled to join her in Burlington. Thank you for the work you do.

Speaker, we’re smashing the stigmas in the trades, and I want to tell you some stories. I’m going to start with Shiloh. We met him. Shiloh was bagging groceries. Thanks to our Skills Development Fund and investments made to support him, he’s now on his way to becoming a level 2 master carpenter.

But I’m going to one up that and tell you a story of Rok. Many on this side of the House know Rok well, and I think members on the other side as well. Rok: “For me, dreams do come true.” Those are the words of Rok. She said she was the only woman—350 men on a job site; the only Black woman there. Well, that’s changing because Rok is an inspiration. She stands tall as an inspiration to young women entering the trades.

Let’s talk stats: A 30% increase in women registering into apprenticeships. That’s because of this Premier. We’re building a stronger Ontario—