My question is to the Minister of the Environment.

This House hasn’t heard much from the Minister of the Environment lately, and no wonder; his government’s record on the environment and climate change has sunk to new lows. This government is gutting conservation authorities. It’s going to allow development on flood plains during a climate crisis. It’s ramping up greenhouse gas emissions from our electricity system. It’s doubling down on unnecessary highways that will make congestion and emissions worse. And it’s destroying the greenbelt on behalf of a few powerful landowners and PC donors.

What wisdom can the environment minister share at the climate conference in Egypt when he’s enabling some of the worst attacks on the environment I’ve ever seen here in Ontario?

After the minister returns from Egypt and is back on the job, will anyone in Ontario even notice?

I’d like to respond to His Majesty’s opposition—he has greetings from the minister from COP27. He’s glad to be there representing Ontario and, indeed, Canada.

I will take no lessons from the opposition when it comes to our climate change plan. We’re very proud of our climate change plan. In fact, we are on target to meet or exceed our commitment for 2030, reducing emissions by 30% below 2005 levels.

Some of the things we have done, for example—electric vehicle production in Ontario. We’re going to lead the world. We have massive investments in EV battery production taking place in the Windsor-Essex area. We are changing furnaces to arc electric at the Sault Ste. Marie and Hamilton steel mills, which will be the equivalent of taking two million cars off the road.

So I say to the Leader of the Opposition, we are well on target to meet or exceed our guarantees for 2030, and we’re very proud of our made-in-Ontario climate change plan.

I want to expand on that. Yes, we are making sure that the environment is a number one priority. However, let’s be clear: We were elected in a massive majority by answering the call that Ontarians gave us to build Ontario—and we’re going to. I say to the leader: The two are not mutually exclusive. We are able to build Ontario and provide what is needed for the increase in population coming over the next couple of decades, and we are able to do that while respecting and protecting the environment. We’re able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

I understand the people on the other side—unfortunately, all they want to talk about is blocking our efforts to do what is necessary to make sure that Ontario continues to lead.

We will get both done, and we’ll protect the environment at the—