I want to thank my colleague from the great riding of Sault Ste. Marie for that question. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government prioritized revamping the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. programs to help increase economic development and promote job creation in the north. I’ve seen just how beneficial these programs have been for the workers and business owners in my riding of Thunder Bay–Atikokan, and it is even more encouraging to see the types of investments that the NOHFC is leveraging. We continue to take every opportunity to engage with northern municipal leaders, Indigenous partners, non-profits and businesses to seek feedback on how we can modernize our NOHFC programs and better respond to the unique needs of the north.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. now has a renewed and refocused set of programs that will help contribute to build strong, resilient communities and create an environment where businesses can thrive, grow and create good jobs. I look forward to what the NOHFC and our government accomplishes in the future.

Thank you so much to the parliamentary assistant and to the great representative of the people of Thunder Bay–Atikokan for that response. It is encouraging that our government is supporting common-sense measures that are going to continue to build prosperity across northern Ontario.

We know that the foundation of Ontario’s strength is in our people, and we also know that the north is not immune to the labour shortages that are being felt across this entire province. In order to meet workforce demands, our government must remove barriers to job participation, particularly in the north, so that young people can access the on-the-job opportunities that exist within their communities. The skills, the knowledge and the expertise that they can acquire will go a long way in helping young people into solid careers and economic independence.

Speaker, can the government please elaborate about how our investments in the north are creating further opportunities for future generations?

I want to thank the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound for that important question and for his continued work on helping us reduce red tape right across this province.

No matter which small business or industry association I meet with, the first thing they say to me when we sit down is, “We wish every jurisdiction had a ministry dedicated to reducing red tape.” This is because the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, spent decades creating red tape, killing businesses and driving jobs out of our province.

The measures in the spring 2023 red tape reduction package, if passed, will deliver real results for people and businesses right across our province, measures like helping to connect every community across our province to high-speed Internet by 2025.

After 15 years of red tape and excuses under the previous Liberal government, our government is cutting through it all and getting it done.

In the fall 2022 report we reported $576 million in annual savings for businesses, not-for-profits and the broader public sector. I’m proud to stand here today and announce we have now reached nearly $700 million in annual savings.

This, of course, has paved the way for massive investments in our great province in critical minerals, in tech start-ups and in the electric vehicle sector totalling over $17 billion. There are over 660,000 new manufacturing jobs since we took office in 2018. Our latest introduction of the red tape reduction package will help us do even more.

I would encourage all the members on the opposite side, NDP and Liberals, to please get onside, support initiatives that we are introducing, so we can continue to make our province competitive.