I want to thank my honourable colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for sharing his time with me today. I will also be sharing the remaining time we have for second reading with the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the ever all-star MPP for Thunder Bay–Atikokan.

Interjections.

Speaker, I’m proud to speak to our government’s proposed Better Municipal Governance Act. It is a bill that is necessary, a bill that is timely, and a bill that would, if passed, be yet another step forward in solving Ontario’s housing crisis.

As the recent municipal election showed, the housing shortage Ontario is facing is at the top of people’s minds in communities right across the province. With many stakeholders pointing out the importance of getting municipal governance right, we need to make sure red tape does not block the housing we need so desperately. Study after study and expert after expert shows us that Ontario is in a housing crisis.

As an example, Kevin Crigger, the president of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, said, “Housing affordability is one of the most significant issues facing the greater Toronto area, so it is important that it continues to be given the attention it deserves before municipal election day.”

As a member representing parts of the GTA, I can attest to how important the housing supply crisis is to my constituents, many of whom are struggling to find a home they can afford. I have heard time and again about how young people are looking to get into the housing market but simply can’t afford it, because they have to balance between saving money and putting a down payment towards a new purchase at the same time—or newcomers to the province who are ready to settle down with their families and plant roots in Ontario but find the lack of available housing a major challenge. When I think about who our government is working for and why we have made tackling the housing supply crisis such a priority, I think about these people, the ones who are only asking for the same opportunity of home ownership that the previous generation has had. We made them a promise that we would put their dream of home ownership back within reach, and as I’ve said time and time again, we’re not going to let them down.

More than one third of Ontario’s growth over the next decade is expected to happen in Toronto and in Ottawa. That’s why we need to take action to ensure that there’s no political delay in hindering the potential that these cities offer. We need the mayors in these municipalities to cut red tape and get housing built faster so more families can realize the dream of attainable home ownership.

Developers and urban planners tell us all the time that the current way projects are approved in Ontario takes far too long and is way too complex. It can take eight to 10 years to go from acquiring undeveloped land to building housing, according to David Amborski, director of the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at Toronto Metropolitan University. Builders need to obtain multiple approvals, which can take months, if not years, as various government departments conduct reviews and request revisions to meet planning requirements.

Speaker, a 2022 survey by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association looked at the time it takes to secure development approvals in 23 Canadian cities. The survey cited Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa as having some of the longest timelines across Canada, ranging from 20 to 24 months, and that’s without even including the time it takes to get a building permit. A follow-up study by the association which was released this past September found that approval times for most greater Toronto area municipalities have only worsened in the years since. Ontarians are counting on us to fix that. Once again, I want to be very clear that we’re not going to let them down.

Ontarians were clear, in the last election, that they want us to take bold actions to increase the housing supply.

And let’s not forget, the recent federal announcement to increase immigration targets will bring in 500,000 newcomers by 2025. As the Premier has said, it is anticipated that some 300,000 of those newcomers will hope to settle right here in Ontario. That adds to the urgency of our bill and makes it clear why it’s so important that we put forward policies that will help us build more homes and build them faster.

If passed, the Better Municipal Governance Act will add to the powers that our Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act gives to the mayors of both Ottawa and Toronto. As the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto begin their new terms of office, they will soon have more powers to break the cycle of delays in the municipal approvals process.

Speaker, this bill builds on the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, which was given royal assent just a few short weeks ago. That act and the associated regulations provide the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa with additional governance tools and increased powers to align municipal decision-making with provincial priorities. They empower the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto to build a team that would help bring forward shared municipal and provincial priorities, which will mean that mayors can use their new powers to get shovels in the ground faster for more housing, and that they can get shovels in the ground faster for the infrastructure that would support more residential developments.

Now I want to focus on the specifics of how the mayors of both Toronto and Ottawa will be able to do this. First, the act changes the City of Toronto Act to empower the mayor of Toronto, and it changes the Municipal Act, along with the supporting regulation, to empower the mayor of Ottawa. The act also outlines the tools that these mayors could access to take decisive action on our shared priorities.

The Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act gives the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa the power to hire and fire the chief administrative officer of the municipality and certain department heads. However, this does not include positions such as the clerk, the treasurer, the integrity commissioner, the chief of police, the chief building official, the medical officer of health and others set out in the legislation. In addition, the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto will have the power to create and reorganize departments in their cities so they can better address the needs of their communities. As well, the mayors can appoint the chairs and vice-chairs of identified committees and local boards and can also establish identified committees, and they will be able to direct staff to prepare proposals to support them in furthering provincial priorities.

The Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act gives the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto the ability to deliver the budget of their municipality and table it for council to consider. The respective municipal council can then propose changes to the budget if it chooses to do so. An important new power for the mayors is that these amendments would then be subject to a mayor’s veto. The system of checks and balances that we’ve built into the legislation would keep councillors engaged in the process of local government so that they can provide an important restraint on their respective mayors. Let me explain how that would work.

The municipal council of Ottawa and Toronto would be able to override the mayor’s veto of council amendments to the budget with a two-thirds majority vote. This can be done within a certain time period. Once that period of time is up, the municipality would have adopted the resulting budget. There is a similar veto-override system with regard to bylaws passed by council. A mayor can use their veto power if they are of the opinion that all or part of a bylaw passed by council could potentially interfere with a provincial priority, as identified in regulation. This could be a provincial priority such as building more housing for Ontarians—or if the bylaw prevented infrastructure needed for more homes from being built.

Speaker, as you can see, the council-override process is a counterweight in this instance. Similar to their power in regard to the budget amendments, Ottawa and Toronto councils can override a mayoral veto of bylaws related to provincial priorities with a two-thirds majority vote.

I want to make one point clear: The mayor’s new ability to veto bylaws applies only to those that the mayor believes would potentially interfere with identified provincial priorities. Simply put, we trust Ontarians to elect the leaders who best reflect the needs and values of their communities. By extension, we trust those leaders to use these new powers fairly when it comes to driving our shared priorities forward. That’s why we’re holding them accountable for their choices. As an extension of these changes, mayors are required to provide written documentation when using any of these new powers in accordance with any associated regulations.

We also made changes to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. First, the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto are now required to declare any financial interests related to the use of their new powers. They would not be able to use the new powers where financial conflict exists. It’s also important to remember that council members are already subject to legislated accountability and transparency rules, and that includes the mayor.

Another important point I’d like to raise is that because of these new increased powers for mayors, we must ensure that voters will be able to have their say if a mayor leaves office earlier than expected. That is why a by-election is required to replace a mayor with these increased powers if the office becomes vacant. That’s distinct from the current practice in Ottawa and Toronto, or any other Ontario municipality, which is to give the council the choice of either a by-election or an appointment by council, and the existing rules for how by-elections are run would still apply.

This does not impact the flexibility that Ottawa and Toronto currently have in deciding how to fill other vacant council seats. In those cases, they still have the choice to appoint someone or, in fact, have a by-election.

Speaker, as I’ve mentioned, some of these changes to empower the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa pertain to matters of provincial priority. These provincial priorities are set out in the supporting regulations. Now I’d like to highlight what these proposed provincial priorities are.

One priority is our government’s commitment to keeping costs down and building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, to address the housing supply crisis. When we build more homes, we also need to consider the infrastructure that will support them.

Another provincial priority would speed up the planning, approval, construction and maintenance of infrastructure to support new and existing residential developments. This is the infrastructure that you use every day, the things that we don’t often think about but that we require. Actioning the expansion, construction and maintenance of these services is essential, and we will work to eliminate any barriers or delays that are in the way. This will help us lay the foundation for building homes now and into the future.

As well, another provincial priority involves transit-oriented communities. These are the higher-density mixed-use developments that are next to or within a short walk of transit stations and stops.

The bill we’re discussing today, the proposed Better Municipal Governance Act, will help us build on and further support the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act in meeting the provincial priority to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.

Additionally, we are proposing changes that would enable the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to propose bylaws related to the provincial priorities that we have set out. These bylaws would be passed if more than one third of the members of council vote in favour of the bylaw, and existing municipal accountability frameworks will continue to apply, including conflict-of-interest rules. As well, heads of council would also be required to provide their rationale when using the proposed powers.

If passed, the proposed legislation would allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make regulations that establish the rules for the use of this new mayoral bylaw power. For example, the minister could impose limits and conditions or set out procedural rules for proposing a bylaw.

There is no doubt that these proposals seem bold, but that’s because our government promised bold action to end the housing supply crisis and to help all Ontarians find a safe place to call home.

Speaker, I began today by saying that our proposed Better Municipal Governance Act is necessary, is timely and, if passed, would be another solid step forward in addressing Ontario’s undersupply of housing. Giving strong mayors this enhanced power would allow them to remove barriers and find solutions for the housing supply shortages, and would make them true partners in addressing the housing crisis.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. I want to thank the Premier. I want to thank the parliamentary assistant to municipal affairs and housing, and every member of our caucus for all the work and the attention that they’re giving to making sure that every person in this province has a home to go to every night.

As the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has highlighted on multiple occasions in this chamber, we are in a housing crisis, one that requires bold actions, because we cannot simply leave the people of this province behind. We saw what 15 years of neglect has done to where we are here today.

Through the actions of this minister, since 2018—we saw the results last year: more housing starts than we’ve had since 1987; purpose-built rentals, 13,000 of them in the province, again, highest since 1991. These are 30-year record highs. But they’re not enough. We need to do more, because we cannot let the current generations, future generations—you think about the 500,000 new Canadians who are coming in with hopes and dreams and aspirations, like my family did when they came to Canada. This minister, our government, our Premier, has said on many occasions that letting them down is not an option. We will fight for them every single day to make sure that they have a chance at attainable home ownership.

With that, I would now like to call upon the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to further expand on the very necessary piece of proposed legislation, because, as a former mayor himself, I know that his insights into the legislation will make an important contribution to today’s debate.

I recognize the Associate Minister of Housing.

I would like to start my remarks today by thanking both the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Associate Minister of Housing for sharing their time with me today as we speak about this next important bill in our government’s plan.

It is my pleasure to rise for the second reading of the government’s proposed Better Municipal Governance Act, and I will echo the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in saying that Ontario is the best place in the world to call home, yet finding a home is all too challenging for too many people.

I am proud to be speaking on behalf of a government that recognizes this problem and is continuing its work to provide real, timely solutions. We know that if we reduce delays and get the cost of building homes down, we can lower the price of a home for the average buyer, because delays in building housing drive up costs. Delays are contributing to the housing supply shortage, even as we try diligently to make up the time we lost when the pandemic first hit.

Throughout the province, we need to significantly increase the speed of new housing building to meet the demand and lower costs for Ontarians. Study after study has found development approvals and appropriate zoning are often delayed or hindered because of opposition from some members of municipal councils. Some projects are abandoned altogether. Even if the project finally gets the go-ahead, the damage has already been done, and it’s ordinary Ontarians in search of a home who are paying the cost.

A study released in September by the Building Industry and Land Development Association reports that costs can increase substantially each month a permit is stuck in the approval system. They found development application timelines in the GTA have gotten 40% longer over the past two years, and that each month of a delay in a typical high-density project amounts to $2,600 to $3,300 in additional construction costs per residential unit.

In fact, the Ontario Association of Architects also looked into the cost of delays and concluded that the total cost of site plan review application delays could range between $300 million and $900 million every year in Ontario. Think about that, Speaker. This drives up costs for builders, for renters and for homeowners alike.

While our new housing supply action plan currently before the House addresses many of the barriers that cause housing delays, the changes we are proposing in the Better Municipal Governance Act take additional steps. Municipal councils play a crucial role in determining the housing supply. For example, they must approve the zoning changes necessary to increase the density in a given area. We believe that our proposed changes will help municipalities better meet the needs of their rapidly growing communities and help to drive increased housing supply in some of Ontario’s biggest and fastest-growing municipalities.

Speaker, the legislation we are speaking to today is one of the many bold actions our government is taking to address the housing supply crisis. Let’s take a few minutes to remind some members of this House of some previous initiatives we’ve taken to address the housing supply crisis.

Let’s go back to May of 2019, when our government announced More Homes, More Choice, our first housing supply action plan. That plan included a full spectrum of legislative changes to increase the supply of housing—housing that is attainable and housing that provides buyers and renters with more meaningful choices on where to live, where to work and where they can raise their families. That plan cut red tape to make it easier to build the right types of housing in the right places. It did all that so we could get much-needed homes built more quickly. From ownership housing to rental housing, whether built by private developers or non-profits, our first action plan and its accompanying legislation helped to give people more choice. It also helped bring costs down from what they would be otherwise. It aimed to make housing more affordable and helped taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned dollars.

We reviewed every step of the development process, every policy, every regulation and every applicable piece of legislation. We did that to eliminate any unnecessary steps, any duplications and any barriers. But we knew that addressing the housing supply crisis required a long-term strategy. It needed a long-term commitment and collaboration at all levels of government. With those thoughts in mind, our government again acted. In December, our government created the Housing Affordability Task Force, which was made up of industry leaders and experts, to recommend additional measures to increase the supply of market housing.

As the task force stated at the beginning of its report, “For many years, the province has not built enough housing to meet the needs of our growing population.” The task force noted that many “efforts to cool the housing market have provided only temporary relief to homebuyers.” They said, “The long-term trend is clear: house prices are increasing much faster than Ontarians’ incomes.” They stated, “The time for action is now.”

That is why, at around the same time, we convened with our municipal partners at both the Ontario-Municipal Summit and the rural housing round table to seek their input into the province’s housing supply crisis. We also heard from more than 2,000 people through a public consultation that we held to gather even more input.

Nonetheless, while we have been creating a record amount of housing, there is still a severe shortage of supply. Rental housing and affordable home ownership are even further out of reach for hard-working Ontarians. We knew more needed to be done. It was clear that without an increase in housing supply to match the housing demand, housing prices will keep going up and affordability will worsen. That’s worth repeating. It’s a supply-and-demand issue that we need to address and we are addressing.

We took all the information we gained from our many consultations and created our second housing supply action plan called More Homes for Everyone, which was what launched earlier this year. We wanted to build on the success of More Homes, More Choice. More Homes for Everyone outlined the next steps we’re taking to address Ontario’s housing crisis—steps such as accelerating approval timelines and protecting homebuyers from unethical business practices.

We also took further steps to make it easier to build transit-oriented communities. As many members of this House will recall, transit-oriented communities are our government’s vision for higher-density, mixed-use developments that are next to or within a short walk of transit stations and stops.

As the Associate Minister of Housing previously stated, we also introduced the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, which received royal assent in September. That legislation gives the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto more tools to deliver on shared provincial-municipal priorities, including increasing the supply of housing. The changes will help strengthen mayors’ ability to reduce timelines for development, standardize processes and address local barriers to increasing the supply of housing in Toronto and Ottawa.

As you will know, Speaker, last month, we introduced the More Homes Built Faster Act in the Legislature. Our goal is to introduce almost 50 new changes to legislation and regulations that will support our newest plan to speed up housing creation in Ontario. These policies would, if passed, represent our boldest efforts yet to cut through red tape, unnecessary costs and other bottlenecks that are standing in the way of the housing supply that Ontario needs. They would create ways for missing middle and low-income Ontarians to enter the housing market.

The policies would provide the groundwork for growing the housing supply by reducing the bureaucratic costs and red tape that are delaying construction and pushing home prices even higher; promoting the building of more homes near transit and creating more gentle-density housing; protecting new home buyers and consulting on ways to help more renters become homeowners; using provincial lands to build more attainable homes; and much more.

More Homes Built Faster supports the commitment that we made in our previous housing supply action plans to further reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies that delay construction and increase costs for homebuyers and renters. It also supports greater density near transit as well as measures to protect and keep homebuyers and use provincial lands as sites for more attainable homes, and to freeze, reduce and exempt government fees to spur new home construction and help address Ontario’s housing supply crisis.

So you can see, Speaker, our government is moving quickly to take every step we can to help support the construction of more homes in the province for hard-working Ontarians.

We just heard the Associate Minister of Housing expound on the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act and on how we are proposing to build on and further support this act by bringing forward changes that would enable the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to propose certain municipal bylaws related to provincial priorities.

There’s been much discussion and speculation on when or how our government would expand strong-mayor authorities and tools to other municipalities. Toronto and Ottawa will be the first to receive strong-mayor powers, and as they begin to use these new tools we are already turning our attention to other high-growth municipalities which could also benefit from these powers as they look to grow and build more housing.

We began our strong-mayor framework with single-tier municipalities. Specifically, we now want to explore how these powers might work in other jurisdictions with two-tier systems of government.

As the province considers how best to expand the strong-mayor tools to more of Ontario’s rapidly growing municipalities, we want to hear from the experts. Provincially appointed facilitators will assess the two-tier regional governments in Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York. With populations of around 500,000 or more, these six regions represent some of Ontario’s fastest-growing communities, where increased housing supply is desperately needed.

We want to ensure these communities are ready and prepared for the growth that is coming their way. This assessment will help us determine the best mix of roles and responsibilities between the upper- and lower-tier municipalities in these regions to allow them to get shovels into the ground faster so they can build the housing needed to support their growing communities.

Which brings us back to our legislation and why we are here today. The legislation we are proposing would give the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the authority to appoint the regional chairs of Niagara, Peel and York. We would do this for the current term of council, while the regional assessment occurs. As the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said, if the proposals pass, he intends to reappoint the existing regional chairs, drawing on their knowledge and experience to work with the provincially appointed facilitators to provide an accurate assessment of how the regions can best work with our government to adapt to the new strong-mayor powers. This proposed continuity at the regional level would help determine the best way forward for the current two-tier municipalities.

Speaker, municipalities are on the front lines of the housing crisis, and they see the harmful impacts that a lack of homes has on the communities. That is why we need strong local governments to help us to make the dream of home ownership attainable for Ontarians. I know first-hand how important municipalities are to getting homes built, having served previously as a mayor in my riding of Thunder Bay–Atikokan. I know that Ontarians expect their mayors and councils to get behind new housing and to work with the province to increase the supply of attainable homes. That is precisely what our latest actions propose to do.

Of course, this is not the only time we have worked with our municipal partners to help us address housing supply. Speaker, let me take you back earlier this year. In January, we held an Ontario municipal housing summit. We wanted to find ways to coordinate our efforts with big-city mayors and regional chairs. We have also rolled out programs such as the Streamline Development Approval Fund. This fund is providing more than $45 million to help large municipalities streamline, digitize and modernize their approach to applications for residential developments.

We are also engaging with all municipalities to discuss ways they can unlock housing. Earlier this year, we also met with smaller, rural, northern and remote municipalities at our rural housing round table. Understanding the full spectrum of experiences with the housing supply crisis, such as the cost of supplies, helps us to align housing and infrastructure needs based on the unique ways Ontario’s populations continue to grow and change.

Again, Speaker, let me reiterate by drawing on my experience as a northern MPP and a former mayor, how important it is for our plan to address housing concerns across the province and to keep the lines of communication with municipalities open. This summer, I was honoured to have met with municipal leaders at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference. It was a perfect forum to share new ideas and best practices, as well as to promote discussion around policy recommendations that support increasing our housing supply. We are happy to work with our municipal partners at conferences like this, as well as at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, which happens every January. As a former mayor, we appreciated the opportunities to sit in front of the ministers to discuss the priorities of our region.

Speaker, municipalities remain the driving force in getting housing projects through to the finish line. To address the housing crisis, we’re taking decisive action: Action that addresses the housing crisis in Ontario’s fastest-growing communities so everyone can find the home they need and can afford. That’s what our government promised to do and that’s what this proposed legislation does.

I just want to say: When the Minister of Municipal Affairs says, “I think we can all agree that the housing file is going well,” it would be laughable if it were not so serious.

By your own admission, the fall economic statement has downgraded housing starts from 2023 through to 2027. The government has changed the definition of affordable housing, raising the benchmark well past what most Ontarians can afford. The tenant advocacy group reported a shocking drop in affordable private market rentals from 2016 to 2021. The number of rentals costing $1,000 a month or more dropped by 36%, whereas luxury rentals costing $3,000 a month went up by 87%.

Bill 39 goes further than mayoral vetoes and we all know this. It would allow a mayor to propose and pass bills with only one-third-plus-one of the vote. Will the government admit that this is not about housing; it’s about control and legislating minority rule in Ontario?

One of the most common concerns I hear from my constituents—and I am sure this is something my colleagues on both sides of the House can relate to—is that Ontarians are being priced out of the housing market and are worried that they will never attain their dream of home ownership. Young families are worried that they will be unable to find their dream home to grow in. Hard-working professionals are worried that they will be unable to find a home to settle down in and lay down roots.

Can the member expand on how this proposed legislation will help Ontarians find a home that meets their needs and budgets, so they can realize their dream of home ownership?

That’s a fantastic question from my friend from Scarborough.

We’ve got young families, newcomers and those all over the province who—really, the dream of home ownership has been lost to them, so far. They want our government to ensure that they have a home that meets their needs and their budget.

While the province is set to grow by more than two million people in the next decade, you know, representing the good people in Scarborough, that many of those newcomers who the federal government has announced are going to come to our country—probably 60% are going to come to the greater Golden Horseshoe. So we need to ensure that those fast-growing communities and regions, and our two biggest cities, Toronto and Ottawa, have the tools they need to get shovels in the ground faster. The Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act did that in Toronto and Ottawa, and this Better Municipal Governance Act will extend it to the GTA. It only makes sense.

Ontarians gave us a clear mandate: that, under the leadership of Premier Ford, we were going to present a housing supply action plan that was going to build 1.5 million homes over the next decade.

Despite the NIMBYism and the BANANAism from the New Democrats opposite, we are going to continue to drive important public policy that’s going to get shovels in the ground, that’s going to eliminate bureaucratic delays that, in the GTA, add about $116,900 to the cost of an average home. On this side of the House, we want to lower those input costs. We want to create affordable home ownership. The BANANAs across can continue to talk the way they have been.

It doesn’t matter what study you want to look at—you can look at CMHC numbers, Scotiabank numbers—they all align with our Housing Affordability Task Force asking for 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. Then, you take what the member has presented, the issue about us welcoming new Canadians, new Ontarians—we know that out of the 500,000 people the federal government has talked about coming here, about 60% probably are going to come. Regardless of our population, we’re going to accept the lion’s share, and we welcome them. We have to ensure, as the member notes, that we’ve put a plan in place that’s going to actually get shovels in ground.

This plan builds upon the other 90 initiatives the government has done since we’ve been in office. And we’re going to continue to present initiatives every year, under the leadership of Premier Ford.

Premier Ford made it crystal clear to Ontarians that the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act was just the start, that we wanted to ensure that by the time those two new mayors were sworn in in Ontario’s two largest cities, Toronto and Ottawa—he made it crystal clear that that was the start.

The announcement yesterday, in Bill 39, which it’s pretty obvious New Democrats don’t support—just to add to the litany of housing initiatives this government has done; we’ve done over 90 since 2018. And every single time we try to increase housing supply and actually provide an opportunity for a young person to realize the dream of home ownership, New Democrats vote against it. So it’s no surprise that this member and their party, under the leadership of Marit Stiles, is going to not support—

We’re going to stand up for the dream of home ownership.

Speaker, in the supplementary, I will talk about the significance of that minimum of 50,000 homes in relationship to our 1.5 million homes.

It’s absolutely ludicrous that at a time when he is failing education workers and children, pediatric ICUs are over capacity and we’re in an affordable housing crisis, this Premier is laser-focused on autocratic changes to municipal government.

The Premier isn’t just appointing elected positions; he’s also expanding strong-mayor powers to allow for minority rule while removing environmental protections and gutting conservation authorities.

Here’s what AMO said about the government’s recent housing bill: “The province has offered no evidence that the radical elements of the bill will improve housing affordability. It is more likely that the bill will enhance the profitability of the development industry at the expense of taxpayers and the natural environment.” That’s AMO, who were not even invited to the Bill 23 hearings that the government just shut down this morning.

Speaker, will the Premier admit that he sees municipalities and local democracy as nothing more than a delivery system for his decisions and a way to shop around farmland and green space to his wealthy friends?

Again, the land the member talked about in the first part of the question will provide a significant opportunity for housing. It’s a property that has been discussed for many, many years. The outgoing mayor of Pickering actually wrote to the government and suggested that this property should be part of a future development. This property has been debated in public since the early 2000s, regarding its opportunity to provide housing. The specific Cherrywood property will provide up to 25,000 of the 50,000 homes that the government is proposing with this posting on the greenbelt. To put it into perspective, the best housing start year since 1987 was last year, with 100,000 homes. The average amount of homes being built in Ontario, over 30 years, is 67,500.

So I think the member can understand the significance of why we—

Interjection: All about the money.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite for that question. I’m sure the member opposite was here in the House on Monday when we tabled the fall economic statement, which is helping many people who are struggling. Many people are feeling the pinch at the grocery store. Many people are feeling the pinch at the pumps, feeling the pinch with rent and with mortgage rates going up on housing.

That’s why we moved early to provide relief, increasing minimum wage, increasing the income tax rebate so that people making a lower income can take more money in their pockets. It’s why we gave the licence plate stickers back. It’s why the Minister of Housing is getting houses built so there can be affordable housing in Ontario. It’s why we doubled the Guaranteed Annual Income System for over 200,000 low-income seniors in this province. It’s why we increased the earning exemptions for people on Ontario disability from $200 to $1,000, many of whom said that is a game-changer for people on disability.