I would like to welcome to the Legislature today the family of page Jonas Boyce: Derek and Lorraine Boyce, and his siblings Aria and Sarah Boyce. Welcome to the Legislature.

It is my pleasure to welcome Patty Coates, the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

Interjections.

I’d also like to welcome workers from Windsor Salt: from Unifor Local 240, president Jodi Nesbitt, Karrie Burrows, Lindsay Meloche; and Unifor Local 1959 members Eric Brown, Dario Zuech, and Chad Girard.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome the Ontario Waterpower Association. It has its headquarters in Peterborough–Kawartha. They are here today with Stephen Somerville, Jonathan Atkinson, Nicholas Pender, James Carter, John Wynsma, Brianne McMullen, Janelle Fonseca and Paul Norris.

We do have a reception tonight downstairs, in the legislative dining room. I’m looking forward to having everyone there.

I am proud to recognize, in the members’ gallery today, four students from Ontario Tech University in my riding: Dakoda Cluett, Joshua Sankarlal, Corey Law, and Megan Good.

Welcome to your House.

I won’t repeat introductions to the Ontario Waterpower Association—but a special acknowledgement for a constituent of mine. When you don’t find him in a suit, he looks great in jeans on the farm, up in Indian River.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, Paul Norris.

I’m really pleased to welcome to the Legislature today a lot of visitors from a number of First Nations communities and leaders, including Cecilia Begg from KI—she’s the KI head councillor—Chief Wayne Moonias from Neskantaga First Nation; Chief-elect Christopher Moonias from Neskantaga First Nation; Chief Rudy Turtle from Grassy Narrows First Nation; Sherry Ackabee, who is the Grassy Narrows deputy chief; Chief Charlie Beardy from Muskrat Dam First Nation; Allen Brown from Wapekeka First Nation; and Alvin Fiddler from Muskrat Dam.

I’m very, very pleased to welcome all of you and other members from your First Nations to the Legislature. Thank you for being here today.

My question is to the Premier. Will he explain why his government buried $6 billion in cuts at a time when the people of this province are really struggling?

Perhaps the members over on the government side should take a second look, because they are making cuts. They should check out page 150 of the budget book, which reveals that this government is cutting funds to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing—cuts to tourism, culture and sport; cuts to francophone affairs; cuts to agriculture.

Will the Premier, again, explain what these cuts are going to mean for homelessness programs, for the Ontario Arts Council, for local transit, and for bilingual services?

I want to recognize James Scongack. James is the chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

I do, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(4), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today.

I have here with me today in the galleries my incredible team from Treasury Board: my chief of staff, Jenna; Natalie; Ian; Melvin; David; Hamish; Chiara; Mary; Rikin; Catherine; Nuri; Ali; and Christopher. I want to welcome them here to the House.

I’d like to welcome everybody from the Ontario Waterpower Association today. I’m looking forward to talking with them about some of the local small hydro projects near Kingston and also potential hydro projects in other parts of the province, like northern Ontario. I encourage everybody to come to their reception this evening.

I hope all colleagues will join with me and turn their attention to the Speaker’s gallery, where we have Deputy Minister Nancy Matthews and executive assistant Greg Robinson. These are two individuals who have provided close to 60 years of service to the people of the province of Ontario, and in Deputy Minister Matthews’s case, to the city of Toronto as well. They are taking their retirement very, very soon. They have both been absolutely instrumental, not only in making Ontario one of the best places to live, work and invest over the last number of years that they have been here, but in helping guide us through the COVID pandemic.

I hope all members will join with me in thanking them for their incredible service to the people of the province of Ontario.

Applause.

I’ve often said that steelworkers make great leaders. We have a steelworker here today, the vice-president of the Steelworkers’ Toronto Area Council, my good friend Roopchand Doon.

Roop, welcome to Queen’s Park.

In the early days of our first mandate, the Premier laid out our government’s plan to build badly needed transit in the greater Toronto area, and that includes the signature new Ontario Line.

Since those early days, we’ve taken our responsibility to taxpayers very seriously. That’s why our government passed, with no help from that member or the members of the opposition, the Building Transit Faster Act—because we know that time is money.

In addition to being able to deliver value for taxpayers, we also need to have a competitive procurement process, which is why our government decided to break up the procurement for the Ontario Line into three separate packages. As we refined estimates for those packages, they were commercially sensitive, but as soon as those contracts were awarded and have been awarded, they have been publicly posted online with their values. The South Civil has been valued at $6 billion, and a contract for the rolling stock, systems, and operations and maintenance has been valued at $9 billion.

The member opposite wants to talk about—

Members will please take their seats.

To reply, the Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

Interruption.

The member for Ottawa Centre.

Only NDP math could come to that conclusion.

The base programs have increased from $175 billion to $190 billion. Do you know why, Mr. Speaker? Because we are investing in the people of Ontario. We are investing over $15 billion of new funding, new money over the next three years for health care.

Why don’t you go talk to the OMA? Go talk to the OHA. Go talk to the CMHA. Look it up. These are organizations that deliver acute care, mental health care, home and community care, long-term care. They all said thank you to the government.

We’re hitting the priorities that the people of Ontario need and want.

I want to thank the honourable member for his question and welcome members from the isolated northern communities.

From the outset, our government has been focused on consensus and relationship-building when it comes to resource projects and legacy infrastructure—in fact, it started a couple of years ago.

I know that Alvin Fiddler is in the galleries here today.

I think back to when the member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke was the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and we revamped that piece of legislation to reflect consensus. I appreciated that then—the ability for us to sit at a table, build partnerships, friendships, relationships that reflect the need to build out our northern infrastructure and resource projects around consensus.

Many, if not most, of the communities that are represented here today, I’ve had a special opportunity to live in or work in and/or work for, Mr. Speaker, and I can tell you that they all want better infrastructure. They all, for the most part, want road access to improve the health, social and economic opportunities for their communities.

That’s what a provincial government does. We create the platforms for these kinds of resource activities to advance responsibly and safely, at the same time creating new opportunities, real opportunities, for isolated communities, that their members are asking me for every single day—

Remarks in Anishininiimowin.

My question is to the Premier. This government has granted thousands of mining claims on treaty territory and is trying to fast-track dangerous projects against the will of the people who live there, eat the fish and drink the water. Look in the gallery, and you will see leadership and over 80 rights-holders of five First Nations who are here to stand up for their homelands.

Will this government commit today to obtain the consent of First Nations before making any plans for their homelands?

Interjections.

The government says that it respects First Nations, but people here tell me that this government has granted thousands of mining claims in their backyards without prior notice, let alone consent. How does that show respect for the people who have always lived there and cared for their lands?

Will this government commit today to end the antiquated and offensive free-entry staking system?

This government says that it wants prosperity for all Ontarians. But let me be clear, these five First Nations who travelled thousands of kilometres to be here are the ones who have to live with the mess that is left behind after mining. Their children and their grandchildren will have to drink the water downstream from these mines. Will this government promise today to gain their agreement rather than bulldozing over their lands and waters? Better yet, will the Premier meet with these leaders today?

Speaker, all you have to do is look at their expenses from this year and compare them to what’s actually in the budget. It’s not just a difference in reporting; it is a shell game. This government is hiding cuts that are going to eliminate services at a time when people really need them, and that’s not right. They’re cutting funds to the Attorney General, to infrastructure, to transportation, to seniors and accessibility, and to the Solicitor General.

Back to the Premier: What is that going to mean for Ontarians who are waiting for health care, who are at the Landlord and Tenant Board, who are looking for legal aid or seniors’ home care programs?

My question is for the Premier—

Interruption.

This week, Global News revealed that the government is withholding information about the Ontario Line transit project, a public-private partnership which has skyrocketed past the government’s original cost estimates—from $10.9 billion to $19 billion.

Yesterday, the Premier said, “We aren’t hiding anything.” But his officials have redacted documents, so financial disclosure on the Ontario Line is impossible for people from Global News.

I have a simple question: Why won’t this government disclose the financial costs of the Ontario Line?