Speaker, through you to the member: I thought that perhaps the member would celebrate the fact that we’ve got politicians from Niagara region here—and our historic investment in our Homelessness Prevention Program, something that Niagara politicians have been advocating for for years.

I appreciate the reception we had last night.

The issue that the member brings forward is at the fundamental core to our housing supply action plan. We made a decision, as a government, in 2018 that was going to benefit opportunities for more housing stock. What has happened? Two record years in terms of purpose-built rental.

Now our housing supply action plan is turning on other measures. The bill before the House, Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, will provide a number of protections for tenants in the province.

The member opposite still hasn’t tipped her hand. Is she going to stand up for tenants and support Bill 97? That’s the question.

The member has talked about preparing to navigate people in these uncertain economic times. Right now in London, a corporate landlord recently purchased Webster apartment units and they’re systematically renovicting vulnerable seniors and people on ODSP and OW. They’re being renovicted, and London rents have increased by 25% since last year, so also the rents have soared.

I want to know why this Conservative government removed rent controls, and what’s in this budget to protect tenants who are now being renovicted and who are facing double the rent if they have to look for another unit.

I thank the member opposite for the question. Inflation, as we know, is affecting everybody, not just here in the province of Ontario but across the country, the continent and indeed the world. But here at home in Ontario, it’s left many, especially the more vulnerable, feeling pressure on their household budgets, and everybody is affected by this on the rental side, landlords and tenants. Landlords certainly face tenants who aren’t paying, and they can’t make ends meet.

The government understands that it’s a challenging time for many across the province, and therefore has acted early to provide relief. As a result, for example, we are providing more than $6.5 billion a year in electricity price relief for both consumers and job creators under our comprehensive electricity plan. We, as well, made adjustments to the core allowances for the ODSP and of course have added 100,000 more seniors in terms of eligibility for the GAINS program.