For children with special education needs, we believe so strongly that they need support to succeed in our school system, given the exceptional challenges they face. This school year, and every year, we’ve increased funding for special education overall by $92 million. That is highest level of investment in the history of Ontario. It’s at $3.25 billion today, and we recognize there’s more to do.

Specifically for children with autism, we doubled the behaviour expertise amount from $15 million to $30 million; $25 million more for staffing. Today, when compared to the former Liberals, there are 3,200 additional EAs hired and working with those very children who need support. We have fully subsidized professional development AQs for educators to lift their standards for better communications with those children, and as well, we’ve expanded the After School Skills Development Program to every school board in Toronto. We know there’s more to do, and I look forward to working with members opposite to improve the lives of those kids.

Mr. Speaker, even with a flat enrolment in the province of Ontario, we’ve increased base funding when compared to the former Liberals by 27%. That is a significant step forward for those kids.

To the member opposite: We accept there’s more to do. It’s why in this budget, in every budget, we’ve increased special education funding. We accept that there’s more to do. It’s why we invested an additional $92 million this year alone. It’s why we hired 3,200 additional EAs. It’s why we hired 7,000 more education workers.

But I think the fundamental question parents are also asking is, why are the members opposite opposed to the very measures that improve the lives of these kids? You have a track record of systematically opposing investments that help those children, and I would hope that in the budget you will vote for measures that incrementally improve the lives of every child, most especially kids with special education needs in Ontario.