My question is to the Premier. When Torontonians went to the voting station 29 days ago, they had no idea that Bill 39 was going to be tabled or that John Tory personally requested the steroid-injected, supersized mayor powers from you, enabling him to create new bylaws with only one third of city council votes. Many, including the mayor’s own supporters, are now having serious buyer’s remorse. Among others, local constituent Samantha wrote to my office stating, “Although I voted for Mayor Tory, I would not have if I was aware of his position on Bill 39.

“Democracy may be difficult at times to work within”—but it is possible—“majority plus one ... that is democracy and we all love it in Canada.”

Will this Premier respect Toronto’s local democracy and withdraw the undemocratic Bill 39?

Minister, this government has been in power for four years, and during that time, rent prices have gone up and housing prices have gone up, and nothing has become more affordable. That is your record.

The city of Toronto is very alarmed about Bill 23. In their submission, they say the city is on track to lose $230 million in fees at a time when they’re facing an $815-million budget shortfall. They will have no choice to postpone or cancel capital projects.

Minister, can you at least press pause on Bill 23 so the true consequences of this bill can be known?

The NDP has laid out their housing policy pretty clearly. They stand with higher fees that add up to $116,900 on the cost of a home in the greater Golden Horseshoe. That’s what—

Interjections.

They will always stand up for higher fees. They will always stand up for delay which adds cost at the end of the day. We’re going to stand with young families, with new Canadians and with seniors who want to realize the dream of home ownership. That’s who we stand up for.

Interjections.

We’re going to continue to stand up for those taxpayers who want to realize the dream of home ownership. The NDP—it’s really Ontari-no that they stand up for.

The member can disagree with her former colleague at Toronto city council, but we are going to ensure that those mayors in Toronto and Ottawa and the work we’ll do in those six regions—that we’ll be able to get shovels in the ground.

We’ve got an ambitious plan, Speaker, one that will put a plan in place to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. A third of the growth in the next decade will take place in Toronto and Ottawa. We need to ensure that those mayors have the tools. This bill does just that.

Speaker, the people of my riding are concerned that crime rates are on the rise. Everywhere, from newspapers to social media, we continue to see stories of crime and violence fuelled by smuggled drugs and guns.

Ontarians rely on our local police officers to protect them and their neighbourhoods, and our officers are working hard to ensure that drugs are kept off our streets and out of our communities.

Speaker, can the Solicitor General please detail the progress of Ontario’s police services as they work to keep our communities safe?

Families and individuals in my riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park want our government to make the needed investments to ensure they are protected. Our government has a strong track record on providing millions of dollars in funding to support our police services as they continue to combat gun and gang violence. Speaker, can the Solicitor General elaborate further about the good work that Toronto Police Service is doing to keep communities like mine safe?

I want to thank the member for the question. As I’ve said in this House many times, everyone has a right to feel safe in their own homes and their own communities.

Let me give you a few examples as to how Ontario’s police services are stepping up and making a real difference. A joint force investigation by OPP and LaSalle police seized more than two kilograms of cocaine near Windsor, and just a month ago in Fort Frances, four were charged with drug trafficking following the seizure of $100,000 worth of cocaine and a cache of firearms. Earlier this year, Ottawa Police Service was able to take 46 firearms destined for criminals and criminal organizations off the street.

I want to thank the brave men and women of the OPP, LaSalle Police Service and the Ottawa Police Service for taking actions to keep us safe. We will always have your backs.

Monsieur le Président, nous continuerons de faire ce qui est difficile, et nous continuerons de réaliser ce qui est difficile, pour assurer la sécurité de l’Ontario.

We just heard this past Thursday about the great work of the Toronto Police Service, and we’re proud that this investigation was partially funded by the government of Ontario. Toronto Police Service seized an amazing 671 kilograms of illicit drugs with an estimated street value of over $58 million. This is the largest single-day drug bust in the service’s history. I would like to thank and congratulate Chief James Ramer and all the front-line officers who were involved in this historic bust.

Monsieur le Président, grâce au travail de la police, les Ontariens se sentent en sécurité dans leurs communautés, aujourd’hui et tous les jours.