Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merci beaucoup, monsieur le Président. I would like to note that I will be sharing my time with the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, who I see right behind me, and the member from Oakville, who I also see right there, in that order.

Today, it gives me great pleasure to speak to the second reading of Building a Strong Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2023. Last week, I introduced the 2023 budget: Building a Strong Ontario. The budget and this spring budget bill before us today move our plan forward to build a strong province. It is a plan for building a strong economy for today and tomorrow. It is a plan for more roads, more highways, more transit, more broadband, right across the province.

Our plan profiles support for employers. It provides more training opportunities for skilled workers. It’s a plan that sees us moving forward the critical minerals sector in Ontario’s north and connecting the north and its minerals with our globally competitive manufacturing sector in the south. It is a plan to make life more affordable for those that need it the most, with better health care and public services for everyone who calls Ontario home, a plan that makes streets safer and protects you and your family.

C’est un plan qui nous permet de faire progresser le secteur des minéraux critiques dans le nord de l’Ontario; un plan pour relier le Nord et ses minéraux à notre secteur de fabrication de classe mondiale dans le Sud. Il s’agit d’un plan pour rendre la vie plus abordable pour ceux qui en ont le plus besoin, avec de meilleurs soins de santé et services publics pour l’ensemble de la population ontarienne, un plan qui rend les rues plus sûres et qui vous protège, vous et votre famille.

It is a plan to do all of this while at the same time returning Ontario to a balanced budget.

The plan is rooted in strong fundamentals, a long-term vision on real actions, actions not only in the face of the current turbulence we see around us in the global economy, but actions that will help us tomorrow and, from this period of turbulence, to emerge stronger than ever. I know we can and we will do it. I say this confidently because we have the discipline to stay true to a plan that is working, that maintains flexibility to navigate the ongoing economic uncertainty.

The numbers are so important. For government, just as for a family, a business or an individual, the numbers mean everything. I’m pleased to report that in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the deficit is projected to shrink to just $2.2 billion. This is thanks to robust revenue growth, our disciplined and prudent planning, and setting very clear priorities. In 2023-24, we plan to further reduce the deficit to $1.3 billion.

And, Madam Speaker, I have some more good news. I’m pleased to stand here today and say that, starting in 2024-25, we project Ontario returning to the black, with a surplus of approximately $200 million. But it gets better: We have anticipated surpluses into future years.

While uncertainty persists, these numbers demonstrate Ontario is in a position of greater fiscal strength. In fact, as shown in the budget, Ontario’s net debt-to-GDP ratio is now forecast to be 37.8% in 2023-24. This is down 3.6 percentage points from the net debt-to-GDP ratio of 41.4% projected in the 2022 budget. With this progress on the net debt, the people of Ontario can have confidence that tomorrow will be better than today. Measures contained in the spring budget bill support this plan.

Madam Speaker, it is a hallmark of governments that they always face tough choices. The opposition would argue that the only plan to balance a budget is to impose higher taxes, more tolls and fees, or deep cuts to the programs and services people count on. As the Minister of Finance of this government, I say sincerely we reject that way of thinking. In this budget we are showing it is possible to balance a budget while investing more in health care, more in housing, more in highways, more in transit, more in manufacturing, more in the north and more in the skilled trades.

Ontario is facing the day from a position of budgetary strength, but I will be frank: The world today is a more unsettled and uncertain place. Ontario is part of the global economy and it is not immune to the impact of global forces: geopolitical tensions, such as the Russian aggression against Ukraine, China’s economic reopening and the energy transition before us.

L’Ontario fait partie de l’économie mondiale et n’échappe pas à l’impact des forces mondiales : les tensions géopolitiques, telles que l’invasion russe en Ukraine, la réouverture de l’économie chinoise, la transition énergétique and policies that have global trade impacts, such as the United States Inflation Reduction Act.

It is undeniable that more and more global trading partners are pivoting to looking inward. As a result of these realities, supply chains have become disrupted or strained. The wallets of families and businesses have become squeezed by the elevated inflation that defines this post-pandemic environment. People are finding it harder and harder to obtain affordable housing and to pay for groceries and for everyday household goods. In the face of these stresses, our government is doing its part for the people of Ontario. It does this through a responsible, targeted approach that starts with building a more resilient and more competitive economy right here at home.

Take the Ring of Fire, Madam Speaker, one of the most promising mineral deposits in the world—critical minerals that are essential to batteries, electronics, electric vehicles and other clean-tech that are core to the global economy today. The Ring of Fire is our ticket to reducing our dependency on unstable or unfriendly foreign regimes.

Le Cercle de feu est l’un des moyens dont dispose l’Ontario pour réduire sa dépendance à l’égard de régimes étrangers instables ou hostiles.

In particular, we are working hand in hand with the First Nations in northern Ontario to build true partnerships that will ensure Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike can benefit from these untapped riches beneath the surface.

Of course, building the roads to the Ring of Fire is not by itself the solution; we have to get the minerals out of the ground. You’ve got to put your effort into those mines. Our government is once again taking this challenge head on. We are taking a comprehensive approach to accelerate the safe development of the north’s mineral resources. And while we are going ahead with investing $1 billion to unlock the critical minerals in Ontario’s north, we continue to call on the federal government to match our commitment. I’m very hopeful, based on tomorrow’s budget by the finance minister of Canada, because—do you know what, Madam Speaker?—what is good for Ontario is good for Canada.

Et tandis que nous investissons 1 milliard de dollars pour l’exploitation des minéraux critiques du nord de l’Ontario, nous continuons à demander au gouvernement fédéral de nous emboîter le pas, parce que ce qui est bon pour l’Ontario l’est aussi pour le Canada.

One of the pieces of our plan, detailed in this budget, is the proposed new Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit. This credit, if passed, would provide a 10% per refundable corporate income tax credit to help local manufacturers lower their costs, invest in workers, reinvest in their business, innovate and become more competitive, because we’re not an island here in Ontario; we’re part of a global economy.

When combined with other business measures our government has delivered since 2018, we are helping improve competitiveness by enabling an estimated $8 billion in cost savings and support for Ontario businesses in 2023. This includes proposing to expand access to the small business corporate income tax rate, by increasing the phase-out range. This change would provide Ontario’s small businesses with additional Ontario income tax relief of $265 million in 2022-23 to 2025-26.

Our budget also includes measures to train more people in the careers that are in the greatest need of workers. This includes providing $224 million in 2023-24 for a new capital stream of the Skills Development Fund. These investments will leverage private sector expertise and expand training centres, including union training halls, so they can provide more accessible, flexible training opportunities for workers.

Our government took action early to help make life more affordable for those who need it the most. We are helping by putting more money back in their pockets, whether it is at the gas pumps or on electricity bills. We’re also eliminating double fares for most local transit services in the greater Golden Horseshoe when commuters also use GO Transit services like Brampton Transit, like MiWay, like Durham Region Transit—I have a colleague who took that this morning and will benefit from the integrated fares. Our government is expanding this initiative to support more people using public transit who come to Toronto, because many, many people in this province rely on public transit.

We are providing financial support to more low-income seniors. We are proposing changes to expand the Guaranteed Annual Income System program—also known as GAINS—starting in July 2024, to see 100,000 additional seniors be eligible for the program and see the benefit adjusted annually to inflation. Madam Speaker, our government will give a hand up to those that need it the most.

Sadly, many around us do not have a roof over their head or a place to call home. That is why we are investing in supportive housing with an additional $202 million each year in the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program. And thank you for the leadership of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on that. Madam Speaker, this is to help those experiencing or who are at risk of homelessness, those escaping intimate partner violence, and struggling with mental health and additions.

Our government is also investing more in health care. We are investing every single dollar we receive from the federal government’s recent health care funding down payment, and a whole lot more, into better health care services. While we will receive $4.4 billion in additional funding over the next three years from the federal government under the recent agreement in principle, negotiated by our Premier, our government will also invest $15.3 billion into health care over the same period to improve health care in Ontario.

Madam Speaker, this includes accelerating investments in home care to bring funding in 2023-24 up to $569 million, including nearly $300 million to support contract rates increases to stabilize the home and community care workforces. We are also investing over half a billion dollars, including an additional $425 million, over three years in mental health and addictions supports. This includes a 5% increase in the base funding of community-based mental health and addiction service providers funded by the Minister of Health and the Ministry of Health.

Our government also understands that it is a challenging time for Ontario residents in medical school to find residency spots here at home. That’s why we are adding an additional 154 postgraduate medical training seats to give first priority to Ontario residents trained at home and abroad, beginning in 2024 and going forward. We will also see an additional 100 seats for medical undergraduates and continue to prioritize Ontario students for these spots.

Now, Madam Speaker, Ontarians can know they have a provincial government that is determined to get the important things right. Our plan is responsibly investing more for people and businesses while continuing with prudence and planning assumptions that leave us the flexibility for future surprises.

Madame la Présidente, les Ontariennes et Ontariens peuvent compter sur leur gouvernement provincial pour s’occuper de ce qui compte vraiment. Notre plan consiste à investir plus d’argent de façon responsable au profit des particuliers et des entreprises, tout en continuant à faire preuve de prudence et en adoptant des hypothèses de planification qui nous laissent une certaine marge de manoeuvre pour faire face aux surprises dans l’avenir.

Our government never assumes the extremes, the best-case or worst-case scenarios. For example, we are always prudent and a little more cautious than the average private sector views in our economic and fiscal assumptions. And, Madam Speaker, while much has changed since the last budget, economic circumstances have confirmed our plan was, and is, the right one. In fact, our plan is already showing results. When you look at the top-line economic numbers, they offer evidence of how good things are in our province. Manufacturing investment is up. Jobs are up. The population is up. Over 14 million people now call Ontario home. Over 275,000 more people a year are moving to Ontario—over a million people every four years. Madam Speaker, this is all good news. With this growth, we are seeing stronger communities right across Ontario.

I am as confident about the province’s future as I have ever been. And while I do see a brighter future ahead for all of us, success in life is not automatic or guaranteed. And that’s why we have a plan to build a strong, more resilient and more competitive economy right here at home. Building a Strong Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2023, is an important piece of legislation that will enable to us put this plan in action.

I urge—let me repeat that—I urge all members to vote for this plan to build Ontario’s economy, to build highways and other infrastructure, to work for workers, to keep costs down and to serve the people of Ontario.

Thank you for the question. I, too, want to congratulate the member from Hamilton Centre and welcome her to the House.

Mr. Speaker, my great parliamentary assistants from Oakville and Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound criss-crossed the province to listen to people—me, too. We went around the province and we heard from the people of Ontario. And do you know what they said? They said, “Yes, times are tough. The price of everything is going up. Thank you for acting in the budget of 2022.” And, by the way, Mr. Speaker, what did the opposition do on that budget? They voted no.

Well, then, we went to the fall economic statement, where we continued the gas-tax cut and increasing the minimum wage; lower taxes for the lowest-income workers of this province; ODSP, GAINS—I could go on. Which way did the opposition vote? Yes or no?

As we listened right across Ontario, do you know what they asked for? They asked for health care. Well, this budget gets $4 billion from the federal government over the next three years—which is true; we’ll give you that. Do you know how much we’re investing in the people of Ontario in health care? It’s $15 billion over the next three years—this government. And do you know what that $15 billion does? It goes to pay nurses; it goes to pay personal support workers, physicians, therapists—you name it. We are supporting our health care workers. In fact, we put in an additional $80 million over three years to expand our nursing education for 1,000 registered nurses, 500 registered practical nurses and 150 nurse practitioners.

Please join us and vote for the budget and support our health care workers.

Mr. Speaker, these are uncertain times; there’s no question. We are working hard to build a more certain future for future generations by focusing on the economy, the infrastructure and our workers in this province.

Last week, I talked about a road trip that we took around the province. We made multiple stops around the province, and one of the stops that we should have made was in Brampton. Do you know what is happening in Brampton, Mr. Speaker? We are supporting auto manufacturing in Brampton, which had left, which was leaving the province—300,000 manufacturing jobs leaving the province over the last decade and a half. Guess what, Mr. Speaker? They’re coming back. They’re coming back to Brampton, to Oshawa, to Oakville, to Windsor—right across this province.

Well, Mr. Speaker, as was mentioned earlier, the mayor of Windsor is here today, and part of that road trip—

Interjection: A champion.

But here’s the thing: The businesses that are risking their capital will benefit with the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit. This will help literally hundreds and thousands of businesses that support the supply chain, secondary and tertiary manufacturers who are investing their own capital to create jobs, to create new opportunities for families. That’s why we’re investing in this tax credit. If passed, it will help cities like Windsor, it will help the workers in Windsor and it will help Ontario prosper.