The NDP would like to add $116,000 to the cost of a home by defending the status quo. My question back to them is, have they learned nothing from the last election? They’re actually supporting adding costs to the system, making it harder for young families to realize the dream of home ownership.

That’s the contrast—the NDP are always going to stand up for increased costs; on this side of the House, we want to give Ontarians a break and we want to ensure that we reduce the cost of housing so that Ontarians can realize the dream of home ownership.

The most significant proposed changes to development charges are for affordable and non-profit housing and exclusionary zoning, everything that our government wants to incent. But the member doesn’t have to take my word for it—take the word of Simone Swail, the manager of government relations for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, who is here at Queen’s Park today: “The commitment to waive development charges for all affordable housing developments will have a tangible and positive impact on the ability to develop new affordable co-ops in Ontario. We also look forward to engaging with the province in order to reduce the property tax burden on affordable housing providers, including co-ops.” Don’t take my word for it—take it from the CHF.

Again, I want to put into perspective what the Liberal Party is proposing by defending the status quo. I want to go back to that $116,900 of cost that is going to be added on a home in the greater Golden Horseshoe. At current interest rates of 5.69%, it’s going to add an additional $812 on a homebuyer’s monthly mortgage over 20 years. That’s the cost of a down payment.

So you either stand with us to be able to put a plan in place on a number that none of you have argued about—all of you have acknowledged your inaction over the last 15 years.

They acknowledge their inaction because they acknowledge that we need to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. So they acknowledge that they did nothing on this file. And now they stand in the way of young families and want to add an additional $812 per month—