Thank you to the fantastic member from Niagara West.

This gives me an opportunity to speak about the investments that we’re making in our new budget and how we’re going to help those who are doing the heavy lifting in the province in the fight against opioid overdoses.

With an additional investment of $425 million over three years, we’re providing the community mental health and addictions sector its first base funding increase in 10 years. By providing a 5% increase in funding across the board for community mental health and addictions organizations, we’re stabilizing the sector, ensuring staff can be retained, and making it clear to the people of Ontario that we’re treating these issues with the seriousness they deserve.

I want to end the response with a quote from the CEO from CMHA, who said that the budget is “an overwhelmingly positive sign that the government understands the strain our sector is facing as we support Ontarians living with”—

Mindful of the time, very quickly: My colleague from Durham spoke about investments in making sure that we have the right climate for business. I’m wondering if he can speak to the House about how he believes the investment in the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit will benefit our industries.

We’ve had two outstanding presentations from outstanding members.

I want to direct my question to the member for Essex, who talked about page 100 in the budget, and frankly, it’s one of my favourite pages. I’ve earmarked it and whatnot. You really outlined the power of the $13.4-million investment, the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy. I wonder if you can—and you did in your remarks, but I’m not a law enforcement officer. Certainly, we have some in the House. But you’ve got great experience here and understand specifically what’s coming from this strategy. I wondered if you could remind us of those specific benefits of this important investment.

Thank you, member. It’s interesting hearing the government opposite talk about our concerns with investment. We are very much in support of investing in Ontario businesses, small businesses, ensuring government money goes to support Ontario businesses.

I have a question for the minister—not yet—for the member for Toronto–St. Paul’s: When you look at the budget, what did you see that’s going to help the renters in your riding? I know 60% of people in your riding rent. What’s in this budget for them?

Thank you for the presentation from the member of the opposition. But this budget is not only about spending; this budget is about building Ontario’s economy today and tomorrow. So it is a budget to also attract investment.

GM: They have more than a $2-billion investment to protect thousands of jobs. Tesla is manufacturing the equipment to help the batteries for the future. Honda is investing $1.4 billion to make hybrid vehicles. Ford is making a $1.8-billion investment to produce EVs. Toyota has invested $1.4 billion to make vehicles, including hybrids. GM is building Canada’s first-ever full-scale EV manufacturing plant. And Volkswagen in St. Thomas is also building their first-ever overseas battery cell plant here in Ontario.

So I want to ask the member from the opposition why her presentation is only about spending, but not attracting any investment into our province?

So that was a long question, but you know what I’ll focus on? Ontario Place. I just want to give a shout-out to Ontario Place for All and Architectural Conservancy Ontario and also some of my colleagues who are calling for a value-for-money audit of the Conservative government’s plan to hand over a massive chunk of publicly owned Ontario Place to a for-profit place—where is it?—based out of Austria.

I don’t have a problem with investment, but I think we need to invest in Ontario first. And Ontario Place and this government’s ill-thought-out plan for Ontario Place is a best example of the way in which they prop up their buddies—heck, foreign corporations now—as opposed to propping our community up. We don’t need a $600-million private spa courtesy of the government. What are we going to call it? Austria place, or the place formerly known as Ontario Place? Let’s bring the community in to consult about Ontario Place, a place many of us in this House still enjoy to this day.

What are people facing? They are literally facing being unhoused. Some of them are literally considering medical assistance in dying. And some of them are simply just walking around feeling so distraught that they cannot afford the basics.

And I never forgot this woman. We’re still in touch, actually. I’m going to see her next month and I’m going to tell her that you mentioned ODSP, because that will matter to her. She’s very happy when we mention it and she’s thrilled to hear that we want to at least double the ODSP/OW rates.

I mean, any of one of us as MPPs, how would you feel if you got a letter tomorrow saying “Get the hell out of your residence; it’s being demolished. Thank you very much”? This is not fair. What do you tell the senior who has been living at 55 Brownlow for 40-odd years? Where is she supposed to go? She was shaking, speaking to me last night. Where is she supposed to go? As I said last night, maybe Queen’s Park should open its doors at night. I hear they have a lot of space here at night for those who are unhoused.