To the member: This government, through their budget, has calculated disinvestment in many sectors. They’ve said no to students. This government has said no to hospices. This government has said no to wage parity. This government has said no to paid sick days. This government has said no to families of children with autism. They have said no again and again and again. They have chosen to ignore many of the issues that families face across this province, and it is glaringly apparent. The fact that autism doesn’t show up once and that school violence doesn’t show up once in this budget should really be a concern. It is, in fact, a message to all of those families who have these concerns. The fact that seniors right now are being evicted from their properties through renovictions that this government refuses to stand up for should be a concern to us all. That is a crisis, and this government has chosen not to support those seniors.

We also stand for wage parity so that people working within community support services—home care and long-term care—are paid as much as workers in acute care. It costs less for seniors to remain in their homes than it does to institutionalize them. It was proven by the community support services who presented at committee. A 2020 study estimated it costs $103 per day for a long-term-care-equivalent person at home in community care. It costs $201 for a person in long-term care and $730 per day in the hospital. That is cost savings and a wise fiscal investment. Make sure seniors can stay at home, where they’re healthier and happier.

My friend from Mississauga–Malton and I heard the same delegations, and we got such different information, apparently, because the fact of the matter is, on the autism file, autism isn’t even mentioned one time in this budget—or even in your prop, I’m sure. But I have to say, we heard very clearly from Bruce McIntosh from the Ontario Autism Coalition, who said, “Listen, this is a bureaucratic mess. Red tape is preventing children from receiving services.”

My question is an honest question to the member: You have families with autism in your riding. The wait-list now is at 65,000. Why did this budget not address the desperate need for autism services across the province of Ontario?