The member opposite knows that the consultation that the government is engaged in is welcoming comments from the public. We made it very clear. We were open, transparent and honest with Ontarians when we indicated that, at the end of the day, there would be over 2,000 acres added to the greenbelt. The greenbelt would be grown after this procedure. But at the same time, the criteria for the land that is part of that posting is very specific. It’s got to be adjacent to an already urbanized area. It has to have servicing, either on that property or very, very close to it.

The fact is, we’re in the middle of a housing crisis and we have the opportunity to, at the end of the day, grow the greenbelt but at the same time have a minimum of 50,000 new housing starts. It’s a good day for Ontario.

Again, this person, this party, the opposition have a particular bent against building homes. They continuously talk about the fact that they acknowledge we need to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, but every time—we’re going to see it today after question period, when the time for them to stand in their place and look the next generation of Ontarians in the eye and say, “We’ve got your back, and we’re going to be building for you so you can realize the dream of home ownership”—every single solitary time, they vote against it. I think it’s pretty rich coming from that party opposite, the New Democratic Party, to be talking about—

Interjections.

I appreciate the honourable member’s question. Look, we have an opportunity here, and that is to build more houses for more families. We’ve heard it from more than just municipalities, frankly. We’ve heard it from Indigenous communities. They see an opportunity to invest in real estate properties. They see an opportunity to create better and more homes in their own communities.

This pan-provincial plan that we have to build more homes is for all Ontarians. We continue to honour the duty to consult, Mr. Speaker; there is no question about that. We began in earnest on this bill and we will not back down from the opportunity to share an opportunity between Indigenous communities and municipalities, and for the greater good of this province, to build more homes for more families.

I’ve said in this House there are properties that are part of that posting that local mayors have asked to be developed. The one property in Pickering in particular has been the subject of discussion since the early 2000s. The property the member talked about in York region, at the end of the day, would be an opportunity to build the new Southlake hospital, something that the local council member wrote to me about.

Over and over and over again, there is a chorus of voices—not New Democrats, granted—who actually want to get shovels in the ground and build homes so that new Canadians who are coming to our wonderful province, the best place to live, work and raise a family—I want to make sure we get housing for them, Speaker—

Interjections.

We’re committed as a government to meeting the province’s constitutional and other obligations as outlined by the member, and our government is committed to honouring the principles of truth and reconciliation and focusing on Indigenous priorities—specifically, sharing our prosperity with them.

We continue to work with all Ontarians. I appreciate the question from the honourable member.

Experts predict that Ontario’s population is expected to increase by 30% over the next two decades. With this growing population, our infrastructure must grow with it. Modernizing our public infrastructure and building a seamless transportation network will help Ontario meet our current and future demands and will help strengthen the economy. Unfortunately, under the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, the people of my riding endured years of delay and neglect when it came to building essential projects.

Can the Minister of Infrastructure please update the House on our government’s progress in addressing our infrastructure needs?

When building for today and the future, we can’t allow the mistakes made by the previous Liberal government to impact us as we move forward. Under the previous Liberal government, they delayed, neglected and closed critical infrastructure, when we needed investments to be made.

Can the minister please share with the House what our government is doing to deliver effective and resilient infrastructure for all Ontarians?

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

As we know, the Ontario Disability Support Program was not a priority for the previous Liberal government. Unfortunately, because of their inaction, the most vulnerable in our province were forced to deal with an outdated system. Ontarians that rely on this program deserve better.

In our recent fall economic statement, our government has implemented a modernized approach to better address and support individuals who receive support through this program. Speaker, can the minister please update the House on how our government is transforming social assistance and what the reaction has been?

I want to thank my honourable colleague the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills for the question and the great work that he does on behalf of his constituents.

It’s no secret that a lot is currently at stake with the global economic markets. Inflation is high and food prices have skyrocketed out of control around the world. However, when it comes to housing, we are doing everything we can to deliver on the promise that we made to Ontarians. We have taken important steps forward through legislation like strong mayors, the More Homes Built Faster Act and the Better Municipal Governance Act to get shovels in the ground faster than ever before.

To give an example, we have removed development charges for affordable housing units and provided discounts for rental housing options because we are committed to solving the housing crisis. We believe every single Ontarian deserves to have a home.

Again, I thank my colleague for the question. The short answer is, yes, we are in a housing crisis, so we have to look at existing homes and structures so that we can provide more relief to Ontarians. Ontario is expected to grow by more than two million people by 2031, so all options are on the table that will help us add more existing housing supply.

We are already looking at options by introducing as-of-right zoning. Ontarians are now able to create and rent up to three units in their existing home. This will not only add to our provincial housing supply, but will also help pay for the high interest rates Ontarians and others around the world are forced to pay.

We will continue to look for other solutions that will help us add more homes to the market and help us build 1.5 million homes across the province. As we’ve said time and time again, letting Ontarians down, on this side and in the middle there, is not an option.