I’m happy to address the question from the Leader of the Opposition. When I think about why I got into government: For 15 years, we saw a record amount of spending, supported for three years by the NDP, I submit—from 2011 to 2014—as I have mentioned many times, in the history of Confederation up to 2003, $130 billion of debt; the next 15 years, almost $200 billion in debt.

Did those spending dollars go into health care? Did they go into building highways so people could move goods and people to market? Did the spending go into building more subways to connect the hundreds of thousands of people that move to Ontario every single year? Where are those people going to live? Where are they going to live? They have to live in housing. That’s what this government is accelerating to make sure we get it done.

That being said, let me also think about almost a year ago, when we tabled our budget for the people of Ontario and we took that budget to the people of Ontario. It included gas tax relief, because the cost of gas and the cost of everything was going up. It included a doubling of the low-income individuals and families tax credit so that the lowest-income workers in this province got a break. It helped seniors with the seniors’ home affordability tax credit.

But did we stop there? No. In the fall economic statement, what did we do? We increased ODSP funding by 5%. We indexed it to inflation for the first time ever. And we didn’t stop there. We increased the earnings exemption. We provided the GAINS, the doubling of support for seniors and the guaranteed annual income. Also, we continued the gas tax relief for another year.

My question’s to the Minister of Finance. I spent much of this winter travelling across the province, listening to Ontarians tell us what should be in the budget to create a stronger, more care province.

The Canadian Cancer Society told us about the need to expand access to take-home cancer drugs since that’s what over half of the new oncology medications are actually developed for. Currently, OHIP doesn’t cover these medications, which are costly and difficult to access without private insurance or employment benefits. Increasing access to take-home cancer drugs frees up valuable hospital resources and makes life a little bit easier for everyone who is battling cancer, no matter their income.

Will the government do the right thing in this budget, do the compassionate thing and do the fiscally responsible thing and provide OHIP coverage for these life-saving medications in this year’s budget?

I want to thank the member opposite for the question. We do believe we need to build new schools, and build these schools faster in the province of Ontario. It’s why the Premier has allocated $14 billion over the next 10 years to finally build modern schools that are accessible and Internet-connected, with the highest standards of ventilation in Ontario. This investment has helped us deliver over 100 capital projects under way today—200 approved in the pipeline, and there’s more to go.

The Auditor General recommended to this province and government to allocate 2.5% on renewal to make sure that schools remain operationally sound for all children of all abilities, and we have done so, allocating $1.3 billion each and every year in our budget.

In addition, the special education budget to help the most vulnerable children in our province is up to the highest levels ever, $3.2 billion—$90 million more today than just last year. We appreciate that the needs are rising, and our government and our province will be there for these kids.

To the Premier: At the pre-budget consultations, Red Lake came to ask the government once again for funding to build a new multi-purpose recreation and cultural centre. This is a request that they have been making for more than 10 years.

Red Lake generates over $4 million in provincial and federal income tax with a municipal tax base of 5,000 people. This project is a priority for Red Lake residents, but Red Lake needs this government’s support to start building.

Will there be funding for this multi-purpose centre in this budget?

This multi-purpose recreation and cultural centre will benefit existing residents and will help the community grow. While many people come to Red Lake to work in mining, they often take the money they earn back to the south. The area struggles to attract workers who need to support our population, including health care workers. Recreation and cultural centres are important to families when they’re deciding where to live, which makes this centre important to the future of Red Lake.

Again, I know the answer is “yes,” but there’s a “no” in there.

Will this government commit to providing funding for this project in this budget?

During pre-budget consultations, we heard from the Ontario Community Support Association about the difficult decisions this government is forcing them to make. They are looking at a 36% reduction in transportation services, which is a reduction of 200,000 rides to medical appointments and other critical services. They’re also looking at a 35% reduction in Meals on Wheels, which will result in 640,000 meals not being delivered.

These vital services are important to Ontarians, but they don’t seem important to this government. Will the government ensure these programs are fully funded in this budget?

My question is for the Premier. It would be nice if the Premier answered instead of enrolling in the minister protection program, but I won’t hold my breath—

Interjections.

The Centretown Community Health Centre is integral to a caring and strong community in Ottawa Centre. Will this government ensure that their budget is not cut?