Thank you, Minister, for your speech. I like how you highlighted energy and the investments and being competitive. Those are critical things for our province.

I would like to ask the member if he could speak to the voluntary Clean Energy Credit Registry work. And what are the environmental and economic benefits of this registry?

Thank you to the member for his speech.

We do understand that we are in uncertain economic times right now, and the people who are being hit the hardest are our most vulnerable.

The member from London North Centre made a comment about the stresses on seniors right now.

So I have to ask the question: Will the opposition support our proposed expansion of the Guaranteed Annual Income System program, starting July 2024, so that another 100,000 seniors will be eligible to receive monthly payments?

Although this budget is doing truly wonderful things for the entire province, I want to highlight the amazing initiatives that are outlined for the residents of York region.

For far too long, residents of Newmarket–Aurora have complained about the gridlock on our roads and highways, with a public transit system that left riders longing for a transit system that is more accessible, easy to use and, most importantly, more convenient to use.

Earlier this week, I was reading an email from a constituent of mine. He voiced his concerns to me about how our transit system is not convenient if you are planning a trip downtown. This constituent was trying to get to the Scotiabank Arena to watch a Leafs game. He wanted to know, what is our government doing to improve transit?

Madam Speaker, this is part of our Building a Strong Ontario Act. We are investing $70.5 billion over the next 10 years for transit, including the electrification of our GO Transit system and building a second track so that the residents of my riding can expect 15-minute, two-way GO trains from Aurora to Union Station and back again. This means that Steve, my constituent, can get to that Leafs game conveniently.

By the way, Steve, you’re going to be able to pay for getting on the GO train with your credit card. Just tap and go.

Building a strong Ontario means that we will eliminate double fares for most local transit services when commuters use GO Transit.

Our government is also working on the largest subway expansion in Canadian history by building the Ontario Line, the Scarborough subway extension, the Yonge North subway extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West extension.

We will make the necessary improvements required to finally create an easy-to-use and connected public transit system which will serve generations to come.

We have also designated $27.9 billion to support the planning and construction of highway expansion and rehabilitation. Part of this money will go toward constructing a bridge crossing over the future Bradford Bypass, which will allow Yonge Street, between 8th Line and 9th Line, to cross over the future Bradford Bypass. The project will also widen County Road 4, from two to four lanes. For my constituents—both businesses and residents—they will have faster access and lesser commute times.

I recall speaking with a constituent last May who is a driver for one of the big courier services and, oh, what praises he sung to me about how he will be able to deliver packages faster, instead of sitting in heavily congested traffic, and he’ll be able to do his work much more efficiently.

Our plan to continue helping to grow the economy by getting shovels in the ground to build key infrastructure projects will provide jobs for years to come.

Ontario is helping workers, job seekers and apprentices get the skills they need to take on new opportunities and advance their careers with an additional $75 million over the next three years to enhance the Skills Development Fund. In my riding of Newmarket–Aurora, there are many great benefits for my constituents that extend to all of York region and even Peel region.

Construct, a Blue Door enterprise, is a non-profit that has been a recipient of the Skills Development Fund grant program. They have people in their program who come from Ontario Works and other social programs—people who are looking to learn a trade, gain a pathway to a good-paying job. The results speak for themselves: Over 240 people have graduated from their program in less than two years and are now working in good-paying construction jobs with benefits and a pension. This program is helping people go from minimum wage jobs, where they found they had no purpose, to a job that is allowing them to realize their dreams.

By creating jobs and helping Ontarians gain the skills they need to obtain good-paying jobs, our government is helping Ontarians build themselves a prosperous life while also building the province together.

As I shift into the health portion of my remarks, I would like to express my appreciation to all of Ontario’s health care professionals for your work, your dedication and your commitment to delivering exceptional care to the people of Ontario during the pandemic, and continuing today.

I am proud to say that our government is making health care more connected and convenient for the people of Ontario. Since the fall economic statement was released, the government has increased health sector investments by an additional $15.3 billion over three years.

It is my privilege to stand in this House today and detail how our government is investing in care for Ontarians that is more easily accessible and connected.

Our health care system has been under great pressure; specifically, during the pandemic. However, in the decade-plus leading up to the pandemic, we were dealing with an abundance of hallway health care. This is not good enough for Ontarians. We have a world-class health system but one that needs our help to improve quality of care.

We are helping the system to succeed in serving Ontarians by reducing surgical wait times and increasing diagnostic imaging accessibility. The sooner patients are diagnosed, the better the outcome.

We knew we needed to be innovative and creative to solve hallway health care.

I am proud to announce that the government is reducing wait times for people across the province by investing an additional $72 million over the 2023-24 fiscal year to make more surgeries available at community, surgical and diagnostic centres, to connect people to care faster. This investment will allow hospitals to focus their time and efforts on more complex and high-risk surgeries, will ease the pressure on emergency departments, and will reduce surgical wait-lists.

Speaker, I want to focus specifically on what we are doing to help young Ontarians access care. We have committed more than $200 million—

Speaker, I would like to recognize the Women’s Centre of York Region, which has been—and continues to be—a driving force in York region for more than 45 years. They offer unique programming and services to women who are seeking a positive change in their life. Their goal is to fully support each woman on their personal journey of discovery.

Earlier this week, the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, and myself visited the Women’s Centre of York Region in Newmarket, as they were selected to be part of a $6.9-million investment over three years, as part of the Investing in Women’s Futures Program. This investment will provide a range of flexible services and employment-readiness supports for women facing social and economic barriers, including those experiencing gender-based violence and social isolation.

In 2021-22, the Investing in Women’s Futures Program helped more than 1,300 women across the province secure employment, start their own business or pursue further training or education.

I am truly excited to see the positive changes that the Women’s Centre of York Region will achieve for women in my riding and throughout York region.

I was saying earlier, we have committed more than $200 million to connect children and youth to care at hospitals and close to home in their communities, including new funding for surgical and diagnostic wait times, pediatric hospitals and rehabilitation programs, as well as mental health and other community-based supports.

Home and community care is especially important for people to be able to age in place in the comfort of their own community. I am happy to say that we are increasing funding for the 2023-24 fiscal year of up to $569 million. This includes nearly $300 million to support contract rate increases to stabilize the home care workforce. This funding will also expand home care services and improve the quality of care, making it easier and faster for people to connect to care.

Speaker, the budget touches on so many critical areas, from helping our vulnerable residents to creating an environment where our Ontario-made manufacturing businesses can further thrive.

Thank you to the Minister of Finance for his work on this budget and how he has taken so much of our community members’ feedback into consideration, all the while being respectful of the taxpayer’s dollar.

Ontario is preparing our students for the jobs of the future. This is critical because we believe in better connecting learning in the classroom with meaningful careers. This is why the government is creating more hands-on learning opportunities, which will allow our students to earn college credits and take apprenticeship training, all while still in high school. This is important because it’s going to build our pipeline of job-ready graduates.

Building on the success of the micro-credentials challenge fund round 1, Ontario is investing $5 million in 2023-24 to launch a second round of the program. This will increase micro-credential learning opportunities between post-secondary institutions and industry.

Speaker, we are providing an additional $3.3 million over the next three years, beginning 2023-24, and this will expand access—

Our government knows this economic time has been extremely challenging for so many people in our communities across this great province and right in my community of Newmarket–Aurora as well.

What I would like to note is that we have adjusted core allowances under the ODSP to inflation annually and increased the monthly earnings exemption for persons with disabilities. I’d also like to highlight the additional investment of $202 million each year in the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous supportive housing. This has great impact in my community. On average, service managers are going to be seeing over a 40% increase in this supportive housing—

Thank you to the member for that question.

We know Ontario is committed to reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples and communities by focusing on the initiatives that promote economic prosperity and create a better future for everyone across this province.

Yes, the government has provided an additional $25.1 million for 2023-24 to support the identification, investigation, protection and commemoration of residential school burial sites across this province, as well to provide mental health supports for our First Nations communities.

We know that you cannot have a healthy economy without healthy people. That’s why our government is improving public services to make it more convenient and faster for people to connect to our health care system.

When it comes to health care in Ontario, our government is working to reduce wait times. This is something I was speaking to in my speech: health care here in Ontario. We are looking for better outcomes and care by adding more family doctors. This is why our government has introduced a plan that will connect you to more convenient care through your OHIP card and not your credit card.

Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, does take bold action. We know we are in a housing crisis. That is why we have a plan to build 1.5 million homes, and it’s not just one type of home, it’s different types of homes for all different types of Ontarians. This is why we are focused on ensuring that municipalities—our partners—are working with us.

There will also be, as I mentioned, the $202 million. That represents, on average, a 40% increase to our service managers, including Hamilton, that could help them with their homelessness program.

Thank you to the member from Perth–Wellington for his speech. In my riding of Newmarket–Aurora, I had several conversations with the Central York firefighters; in the House here, I had a meeting with our Ontario firefighters association, and they were asking for us to consider expanding the list of presumptive cancers. I would like the member to speak to that, because to me, our government was listening. Can you please speak to what we are doing as far as presumptive cancers are concerned for our firefighters?

I would like to review a quote from Jeffery Lang, president and CEO of the WSIB, regarding the announcement of expanding cancer coverage for firefighters: “When anybody is facing a work-related illness, we are here to help. Our team gets to work as quickly as possible to help people and this change will help us get started faster for firefighters and fire investigators with thyroid and pancreatic cancers.”

My question to the member is, will you vote with us on this bill and vote to support our firefighters?