Yes, thank you. Today I rise to speak to the second reading of the Progress on the Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022. I will be splitting my time with my two parliamentary assistants, the member for Oakville and the member for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. I’m glad to see them here in their seats.

Yesterday, I introduced the Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review and tabled our first ever Building Ontario Progress Report. The progress report and fall bill highlight how our flexible and responsible plan is positioning the province to be ready to manage uncertainty and risk as the world faces emerging economic challenges. It is my honour to continue to discuss the highlights in that report that showcase how we have progressed on our plan to build and to discuss the measures in the fall bill that are aimed at furthering the progress spelled out in our fall economic statement.

Monsieur le Président, le rapport d’étape et le projet de loi de l’automne montrent en quoi notre plan flexible et responsable met la province à même de gérer l’incertitude et le risque à un moment où le monde fait face à des difficultés économiques émergentes. C’est pour moi un honneur de continuer à discuter des points saillants de ce rapport qui mettent en évidence les progrès que nous avons réalisés au regard de notre plan pour bâtir et de discuter des mesures prises dans le projet de loi de l’automne pour faire suite aux progrès annoncés dans notre énoncé économique de l’automne.

I am pleased to say that we have made significant progress on our plan. I will first take a moment to list the key pieces of legislative business contained in the bill.

Related to the Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income Act, we are proposing to temporarily double the Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System payment. This temporary measure would be for 12 months, starting in January 2023. This step is a way that our government can help keep costs down for low-income seniors.

Mr. Speaker, we are also proposing an extension of the gasoline and fuel tax rate reductions under the Gasoline Tax Act and the Fuel Tax Act. We are also working to keep costs down and put more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario by including the cut to the gas tax and the fuel tax. Statistics Canada noted that the province’s rate cut was a contributor to the decline in gas prices in Ontario for the month of July, helping to lower consumer price inflation.

This bill also proposes amendments to the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit under the tax act of 2007. The proposed amendments would expand eligible expenditures for the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit to include location fees to help attract domestic and foreign film and television production to the province, and incentivize more on-location filming in communities across Ontario.

De plus, nous proposons des modifications au crédit d’impôt de l’Ontario pour les services de production, prévues dans la Loi de 2007 sur les impôts. Les modifications proposées permettraient d’élargir les dépenses admissibles aux fins du crédit d’impôt de l’Ontario pour les services de production en y incluant les frais de lieux de tournage pour attirer la production télévisuelle et cinématographique canadienne et internationale dans la province, et encourager davantage les tournages dans des localités de l’Ontario.

We are also proposing to extend the current freeze on the salaries of members of provincial Parliament. We also have proposals related to the acts that provide the government with the usual spending authority it requires to carry on operations for the 2022-23 and the 2023-24 fiscal years.

In relation to the Securities Act, we are proposing to introduce rule-making authority to allow public companies to digitize access to certain financial documents. This proposal shows how Ontario is moving ahead with modernizing the way public companies communicate with investors and the market to reduce regulatory burden and support the digitization of the economy.

We are also proposing amendments to the Pension Benefits Act related to the framework to target benefit pension plans. These amendments will allow the government to work with stakeholders to develop a clear and fair framework for their pension plans, specifically around funding, governance and communication.

Finally, Madam Speaker, we are proposing amendments to authorize the creation of a provincial clean energy credit registry. This proposed change would launch a voluntary clean energy credit registry in 2023 to help boost competitiveness, attract jobs and provide businesses with more choice in how they pursue their environmental and sustainability goals. These legislative changes and amendments are part of our government’s plan to build Ontario. This province, its people and our government are focused on getting things done.

Our Building Ontario Progress Report shows how we are making progress in attracting investments and creating good jobs. It is our government that has, over the last two years, helped attract $16 billion in transformative global auto investments of electric vehicles and electric vehicle batteries in Ontario. And it is our government that is investing $2.5 billion to help make Ontario a world-leading producer of low-carbon steel. I’m sure the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade would completely agree with me. We got a thumbs-up.

It is our government that is building Ontario’s workforce by making progress in training and educating students and workers to succeed today and tomorrow. And it is our government that has already added over 11,700 health care workers, including nurses and personal support workers, to our health care system.

It is our government that is building infrastructure for Ontario by getting more shovels in the ground on critical projects all across the province. It is our government that is building to ensure this province is a leader in Canada and across the world because, Madam Speaker, this province has had decades of underinvestment. Because of this underinvestment, this province today needs many things. It needs highways and more transit. It needs more hospitals and more schools. Ontario needs more long-term-care homes and Ontario needs schools, subways and highways.

On that last point, I’m proud to report that today, preliminary fieldwork is under way for Highway 413. Early work construction is under way for the Bradford Bypass that will serve the rapidly growing communities of Simcoe county and York region and help ease traffic in the greater Toronto area.

Madam Speaker, our government is also making progress in ways that directly impact every person and family in Ontario, no matter where they live.

Madame la Présidente, notre gouvernement fait également des progrès qui ont une incidence directe sur chaque personne et chaque famille, partout en Ontario.

To help keep costs down, our government has eliminated licence plate renewal fees, as well as licence plate stickers, and refunded the past two years’ fees for eligible vehicles. These actions have helped make life more affordable for nearly eight million vehicle owners in Ontario. To further contribute to the savings every day for households in Ontario, we temporarily cut the gas tax and the fuel tax starting on July 1, 2022. These actions build on others that the government has taken to make life more affordable, such as child care support for eligible families through the Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses tax credit.

We know that, in order to make social and economic progress, we also need to address the current labour shortages. That is why our government is focused on supporting job creation and economic growth. Simply put, we want everyone who is able and wants to pursue a job to pursue and reach their goal. We want them to know they are not alone in their pursuit—that their government is in their corner. That is why one of our key investments is in skills training. We have supported groundbreaking programs that connect jobseekers through our Skills Development Fund. It is giving people the skills and training they need to pursue a new opportunity. And I announced when I introduced the 2022 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, we are investing an additional $40 million for the latest round of this program. Madam Speaker, this brings total funding for the next round to $145 million.

We know that the skilled trades present an opportunity for successful careers for thousands of people. High school students need to know that in Ontario today, they can have a great life in the skilled trades or working with children. That is why I am pleased to share that our government is expanding the Dual Credit Program. That is creating direct pathways for high school students and learners seeking a career in the trades or in early childhood education. Thanks to this program, students are getting the opportunity to complete credits towards both in Ontario’s secondary school diploma and college credential, or a certificate of apprenticeship, giving them the opportunity to work and begin work earlier. Madam Speaker, there is a future for young people in the trades. There is a future in building in Ontario.

Our government continues to build Ontario’s economy, to build Ontario’s workforce, to build Ontario’s infrastructure and keep costs down for families and businesses. Each and every day, in every corner of our province, we are getting it done. There can be no uncertainty about the immense geographic size of the province we call home.

But, Madam Speaker, there is uncertainty about the economic times we find ourselves in. Today, all across the globe, we see emerging fiscal challenges.

L’économie d’aujourd’hui est source d’incertitude. Partout dans le monde, des difficultés financières se manifestent.

In Ontario, we are not immune to these pressures. In 2022, Ontario’s consumer price inflation reached highs not seen since the early 1980s, when I was a young man. We are seeing 40-year price spikes because of many things: the consequences of a worldwide pandemic and because of Russia’s illegal war on the Ukraine, which has caused supply disruptions across various industries. While inflation eased slightly in September, the Bank of Canada increased interest rates another 50 basis points in October, so the cost of groceries and everyday goods that all businesses and families rely on continue to remain stubbornly high.

The next couple of years are likely to be marked by ongoing economic turbulence, by uncertainty and by challenges. Understandably, Ontario seniors, families, workers and businesses are feeling financial pressure. The challenges of ongoing labour shortages and supply chain disruptions are being felt throughout our economy. Our government knows this reality is stressful for many. This is why our government has built a flexible and responsible fiscal plan, one that takes a targeted approach as we navigate these uncertain times together. It’s the right plan, and no matter what lies ahead, I have confidence in the resilience of Ontario’s economy, I have confidence in its workers, and I have confidence in its businesses and people. I have confidence in our plan.

C’est le bon plan. Quoi que l’avenir nous réserve, sachez-le : j’ai confiance en la résilience de l’économie ontarienne et dans les travailleurs, les entreprises et les populations de l’Ontario. J’ai confiance en notre plan.

Awareness of these challenges informed our work as we prepared the 2022 fall economic statement. It is why we have included in it new targeted measures to advance our plan and help families, workers, seniors and businesses. It is why we have included new plans and programs to support those families, seniors, businesses and workers.

Through these times of great economic instability and uncertainty, our government remains steadfast. We are resolved to our task. One of these areas we are determined to advance progress in is attracting investment and bringing good manufacturing jobs back to Ontario. Our government is using the strength of Ontario’s supply chain to support globally competitive, homegrown manufacturing, and build things such as the next generation of hybrid and electric vehicles and batteries right here in Ontario, for sale right across North America.

We know that manufacturers are looking for ways to remove emissions from their supply chains, and that is why our government is proposing legislation to launch a voluntary clean energy credit registry. This registry would, if passed and approved, boost competitiveness for the province and give Ontario businesses another tool as they compete for global capital. Manufacturing is Ontario’s legacy and it’s Ontario’s future.

This registry is among the outside-the-box initiatives we are exploring and undertaking as we pursue making the province the destination of choice for global investors. That is why we are refocusing our approach to cutting red tape to clear up supply chain delays as well as supporting Ontario’s agri-food system so we can get goods and services to customers faster and help create more jobs.

We know that these are challenging financial times for many in our province. This government understands that the last thing the people of Ontario need right now is a tax increase at the pumps. That is why we are proposing to extend the gas and fuel tax for another 12 months, until December 31, 2023. Extending these cuts would mean households of this province would save $195, on average, between July 1, 2022, and December 2023.

Many of us will know and appreciate that seniors built this province and we owe them all a debt of gratitude, but for too many low-income seniors, covering day-to-day costs has become a source of anxiety. That is why our government is proposing to double the Guaranteed Annual Income Supplement, also known as GAINS, so seniors can receive a maximum increase of almost $1,000 per person for low-income seniors for the year.

These and other measures in the bill and the 2022 fall economic statement make the picture clear. Our government has a responsible, flexible plan, needed to help Ontario’s businesses, workers, families and seniors, as the province navigates this period of uncertainty. Whatever the economic uncertainty may bring, our government has a plan.

Before I turn it over to my two able parliamentary assistants, I also want to acknowledge my previous parliamentary assistant. The member happens to be opposite today—right over there—the member from Brantford–Brant. I want to thank him for his great support and work when he was my parliamentary assistant. Gentlemen, you have a very high bar to match.

With that, I would now like to call on the member for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, who will also speak to the measures contained in this bill.

Good morning, colleagues. Today, I rise to speak in support of the second reading of the Progress on the Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022, in follow-up to the Minister of Finance introducing the 2022 Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review yesterday, and Minister Bethlenfalvy initiating second reading of the bill this morning.

These documents—our progress report and the bill—include new targeted measures that advance our plan on many fronts. They move forward our work to build the economy, address the province’s labour shortages and help families and businesses keep costs down. The progress report and bill highlight how our responsible, targeted approach is positioning the province to be ready to manage uncertainty and risk as the world faces emerging economic challenges. It’s my honour to discuss the specific measures in the bill that are aimed at furthering the themes of progress articulated in our fall economic statement. I’ll begin by listing the key pieces of legislative business contained in the bill. I will then discuss them in more detail.

In relation to the Securities Act, we are proposing to introduce rule-making authority to allow public companies to digitize access to certain financial documents.

We’re also proposing amendments to the Pension Benefits Act, to consult on pension funding and governance policies to strengthen target benefit pension plans.

For the Ontario guaranteed annual income support, or GAINS, we’re proposing to temporarily double the payment to low-income seniors.

Interjections.

Another item is the Legislative Assembly Act—you won’t clap for this. Here, we’re proposing to extend the current freeze on the salaries of members of provincial Parliament.

We also have proposals related to the Supplementary Interim Appropriation for 2022-2023 Act, 2022, and Interim Appropriation for 2023-2024 Act, 2022. These proposals are customary legislative business, aimed at providing the government with the spending authority it requires to carry on operations for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years.

Madam Speaker, we’re also proposing an extension of the tax rate reduction under the Gasoline Tax Act and the Fuel Tax Act.

As well, we are proposing amendments to allow companies to claim location fees for the purposes of the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit under the Taxation Act, 2007.

Finally, we’re proposing amendments to authorize the establishment or designation of a provincial clean energy credit registry.

Now I will focus on each item in a little more depth.

First, the Securities Act: rule-making authority in respect of the access-equals-delivery initiative. The amendments proposed here would provide the Ontario Securities Commission with authority to make rules enabling public companies to make certain documents such as prospectuses or financial statements accessible to investors online on a central website. These rules would replace the current approach, which requires public companies to provide investors with either physical or emailed copies of prospectuses or financial statements.

Under the proposed model, investors would still retain the option of requesting physical or electronic delivery of documents if they so choose. It will also encourage companies to adopt a digital and environmentally conscious approach to engaging and communicating with investors. The proposed amendment directly responds to recommendations made by the Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce in 2020 and furthers the government’s commitment to modernize capital markets in Ontario. The amendments would come into effect on royal assent.

Now for the Pension Benefits Act, specifically pension funding and government policies for target benefit pension plans: Target benefit pension plans have been operating under temporary regulation since 2007 that will expire in 2024 unless replaced by a permanent framework. These amendments will allow the government to work with stakeholders to develop a clear and fair framework for these pension plans, specifically around funding, governance and communication. This supports the government’s 2022 budget commitment and will provide employers, plan administrators and members with certainty, stability and confidence in the pension plans. Implementation of a permanent framework will also pave the way for more employers to offer workplace pension plans, increasing the opportunities for workers to save for their retirement.

As I mentioned earlier, we’re also temporarily doubling the Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System, or GAINS, payment. These proposed amendments would temporarily double the payment for all recipients for 12 months starting in January 2023. This act provides a monthly payment to eligible low-income seniors. Currently, the maximum payment for an eligible senior is $83 per month. Under the proposed amendments, the maximum payment would be doubled to $166 per month, meaning many seniors will now be receiving almost $1,000 extra in supports in 2023. This measure, if approved, would help about 200,000 of Ontario’s lowest-income seniors manage their costs. And we’ve also committed to introducing measures to expand the eligibility of GAINS in the future to ensure more seniors who need financial help get it. As with most of the measures contained in this bill, these amendments would come into force on royal assent.

Next, I turn to the Electricity Act and the clean energy credit registry. Here, the proposed amendments would authorize the establishment or designation of a provincial clean energy credit registry by early 2023. To support investment in the province and alignment with Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen strategy, the government is seeking approval for legislative amendments that will allow the designation or establishment of a clean energy credit registry. The registry would attract the transfer and retirement of clean energy credits from clean electricity generated and consumed in Ontario. Launching a voluntary clean energy registry would boost Ontario’s competitiveness, attract jobs and investment in the province and provide businesses with the information they need to pursue their environmental and sustainability goals.

Now I come to the Legislative Assembly Act, where we are extending the current freeze on MPP salaries. The Legislative Assembly Act limits Ontario MPP salaries at $116,550—that is, the salary that has been in effect since 2009. The act currently states that the MPP salary freeze ceases to have effect as of April 1 of the second fiscal year immediately after the provincial budget returns to surplus. As a result of the provincial surplus reported by my honourable colleague Prabmeet Sarkaria, President of the Treasury Board, in the 2021-22 public accounts of Ontario, the salary freeze would end automatically on April 1, 2023, triggering an MPP salary increase. However, we are proposing in the bill to extend the freeze indefinitely until a further amendment is made to the Legislative Assembly Act. So MPP salaries will not be increasing at this time.

I now turn to pieces of legislation that relate to government spending. First, the Supplementary Interim Appropriation for 2022-2023 Act, 2022, is required to provide the government with spending authority to carry on operations. A new supplementary interim appropriation act is normally introduced in years in which the amounts in the interim appropriation act for the year were insufficient to recover expected expenditures. A new supplementary interim appropriation act would provide supplementary interim spending authority for anticipated government expenses, pending the vote of supply. All expenditures under the proposed act would be in addition to amounts already authorized under the Interim Appropriation for 2022-2023 Act, 2021. The supply act for 2022-23 would replace and repeal the proposed act.

Second, the Interim Appropriation for 2023-2024 Act, 2022—a lot of numbers. As you all know, a new interim appropriation act is normally introduced each fall to provide the government with the spending authority it requires to carry on operations. A new interim appropriation act would provide interim spending authority for anticipated government expenses, government investments and the expenses of legislative offices for the fiscal year April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, pending the vote of supply. All expenditures under the proposed act would have to be charged to the proper appropriation following the vote of supply for that fiscal year. The supply act for 2023-24 would replace and repeal the proposed act.

Madam Speaker, our government understands that families and businesses are feeling financial pressure. That’s why we are also proposing to extend the cuts to the gasoline tax rate and diesel fuel tax rate. In April, our government passed legislation to temporarily cut the gasoline tax rate and fuel tax rate to nine cents per litre, which took effect July 1, 2022. On January 1, 2023, both taxes were scheduled to revert back to their rates before the temporary rate reduction. Our proposed extension of the cuts to the gas tax and the diesel fuel tax rates mean that the rate of tax on gasoline and diesel would remain at nine cents per litre until December 31, 2023. This is a temporary extension of a further 12 months. It is part of our plan to help keep costs down for Ontario families and businesses.

And now I come to the Taxation Act, 2007: Ontario Production Services Tax Credit and location fees. We are proposing an amendment to include location fees as eligible expenses for the purposes of determining the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit. The proposed amendments would allow productions to include rental fees for on-location filming as eligible expenditures for the purposes of this tax credit up to a maximum of 5% of qualifying production expenditures. The amendment would apply to expenditures incurred after November 14, 2022.

To increase the economic and cultural benefits of the province, the government is also proposing to make regulatory amendments to require that recipients of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit provide a screen credit acknowledging government support. This requirement would be effective for productions that began principal photography after December 31, 2022.

Madam Speaker, we are in uncertain economic times, and this bill and our 2022 fall economic statement clearly show that our government has a responsible plan with targeted new measures to help navigate these economic challenges. Whatever the economic uncertainty may bring, the people of Ontario should know that our government is prepared.

Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to my colleague for leading the way here, and to the minister, to talk about the fall economic statement we’ve put forward.

Speaker, I rise to speak to the measures contained in the Progress on the Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022, measures that will help build the economy, address the province’s labour shortage and keep costs down for businesses and families. These are the core principles and guiding ideas that inform our progress report, the 2022 Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review, and the measures contained in this bill.

Our plan is flexible and responsible. We have new, targeted measures that benefit families, seniors, students, workers and business owners throughout this great province. These are the key take-aways I’m here to drive home today.

To start on the core of my discussion, let me say that Ontario’s economy has proven resilient amid economic uncertainty due to global geopolitical conflict, elevated inflation, rising interest rates and ongoing supply challenges. Through our plan and the measures in this bill, we are working to ensure the province is in a strong position to manage risks in a challenging global economy, while investing for the long term to build a stronger Ontario. By preserving flexibility, the government is prepared to provide targeted support to people and businesses, while maintaining a responsible plan to eliminate Ontario’s debt.

Speaker, our government recognizes we are facing a difficult road ahead. Private sector economists continue to revise their growth projections. An economic slowdown in the near term is a very, very real risk. When faced with this degree of uncertainty, governments need to be ready for anything. They need to be flexible and forward-thinking, with a plan that can support people and businesses when and if the time comes, while at the same time laying a strong fiscal foundation for future generations. But for too long, structural deficits were allowed to grow, debt was allowed to pile up, spendthrift fiscal planning was in style. And now, with interest rates on the rise, this kind of debt accumulation and deficit spending is no longer an option.

This Ontario government is taking a targeted approach, making record investments in the priorities that matter to the people of this province. Supported by our fiscal plan, Ontario’s projected deficit in 2022-23 is $12.9 billion. This is an improvement of $6.9 billion from the 2022 budget. Eliminating Ontario’s deficit while delivering on Ontario’s Plan to Build is a critical part of our government’s long-term vision for this province.

After unprecedented and essential spending in response to the pandemic, now is the time for governments to show restraint. More spending by government today will only make inflation more painful and contribute to dragging out an economic downturn. We know the economic road ahead may not be easy, but, Speaker, there is nothing that we cannot do together.

Our government is building a stronger province: a province with a strong economy and good-paying manufacturing jobs; a province where it is easy to start and grow a business; a province where you can learn new skills and seize new opportunities; a province where you can start a career and raise a family; a province connected with new highways, new roads and reliable public transit.

With the 2022 Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review, Ontario’s Plan to Build: A Progress Update, our government is delivering the first-ever progress report on our plan to build Ontario. The progress update also profiles new, targeted measures that advance our plan to build the economy, address the province’s labour shortage, and help families and businesses keep costs down. We plan to continue to help grow the economy by getting shovels in the ground to build key infrastructure projects and by investing in skills training for Ontario workers and newcomers.

The progress update provides a refreshed economic and fiscal outlook for Ontario. It highlights how prudent and responsible our plan is and how it positions the province to be ready to manage uncertainty and risk as the world faces emerging economic challenges. The measures contained in the bill represent the legislative changes we propose to help make changes necessary to position the province for these short-term uncertainties and long-term opportunities.

While Ontario experienced strong economic growth through 2021 and the first half of 2022, economic uncertainty remains. As of the second quarter of 2022, Ontario’s real gross domestic product, or GDP, has surpassed the pre-COVID-19 level by 2.2%. Employment was 141,700 higher in September 2022 than the pre-pandemic level in February 2020. That is 1.9% higher.

As detailed in our progress update, Ontario’s real GDP is projected to rise 2.6% in 2022, 0.5% in 2023, 1.6% in 2024 and 2.1% in 2025. Government forecasts for 2022, 2023 and 2024 have been revised lower since the 2022 budget. This is in line with private sector economists.

The reality is that the world has changed so much since just last spring when the budget was released, so it is clear, for the purposes of prudent fiscal planning, these protections by the government are set slightly below the average of private sector forecasts. It is undeniable that the 2022 Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review is being released, and this bill tabled, when global economic conditions remain very challenging.

This uncertainty is driven by a variety of factors beyond the Ontario government’s control. Obviously these include supply chain issues globally, the war in the Ukraine and inflation throughout the world. As a result, for the progress update, the Ontario Ministry of Finance developed faster-growth and slower-growth scenarios. These scenarios project the various paths the economy could take over the next several years. By providing these projections, the government is providing more transparency about how alternative economic scenarios could impact Ontario’s finances. The government is now projecting a $12.9-billion deficit in 2022-23, nearly $7 billion lower than the outlook published in the 2022 budget.

Regardless of whether Ontario’s economy winds up following the faster-growth or the slower-growth model, the reality is that our government is using targeted measures to steer the province’s course into the future. Helping to keep costs down for everyday life is one of these measures.

This government understands that costs are rising for the people of Ontario. That is why one of the key pillars of our plan is keeping costs down. I’m pleased to report that, throughout 2022, our government has implemented changes for new initiatives that have supported this goal. In January, we implemented a general minimum wage hike from $14.35 to $15 an hour. That has subsequently gone up to $15.50 an hour, which is among the highest minimum wages in Canada and, indeed, North America.

In March, we not only eliminated licence plate renewal fees and stickers for eligible vehicles, we also eliminated double fares for riders connecting to and from GO Transit on most municipal transit systems. This has been a great help to commuters across the province of Ontario. Whether you take the GO train, the bus or drive a car, your costs are coming down.

We nearly doubled Presto discounts for youth and post-secondary students. We know that students feel the brunt of an economic downturn and spiraling costs. Helping them save on commuting will give them more money for their education.

In April, we made it so that there were no more road tolls on the 412 and 418 highways. I know many commuters throughout Ontario, and particularly in Durham region, were absolutely thrilled that they no longer had to pay just to drive a highway and commute to work, drive their family to soccer practice or go to work.

People who filed their taxes in April may have recognized supports provided to them through their 2021 income tax returns. These included the low-income individuals and families tax credit, or LIFT credit, which provides tax relief for low-income workers. This was among the largest tax cuts to any group of people in the history of the province of Ontario, affecting the lowest-paid workers, allowing more dollars for those folks to pay their daily bills.

The Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses tax credit, or CARE tax credit, provides tax relief for eligible child care expenses. We know under the 15 years of Liberal rule, child care expenses went up in this province by over 400% to be the highest in Canada. Our government is helping provide relief to families on this very high expense.

We also brought in the Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit, which provides tax relief to help make eligible seniors’ homes safer. We know seniors in this province did so much to build this province; they want to stay in their home when they can. Helping them with up to a $10,000 investment in reconfiguring their home, in order to stay in it, through a tax credit will help many seniors stay in their homes longer, putting less pressure on long-term care, retirement homes and hospitals, and most importantly, allow families to stay together longer.

The Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit will help people with eligible training expenses. We also know that the skilled trades have been undeveloped in this province for many, many, many years, and we have an extreme shortage of skilled trades workers in this province. Helping those workers retool their trades so that they can participate in the labour force—in good-paying jobs—will help the labour shortage, help our province grow and help a lot of families to provide good-paying jobs.

These measures will provide support in the 2022 tax year as well. I will flag how Ontario taxpayers will also see new and improved tax measures when they file their 2022 income tax returns, including an enhanced LIFT credit, which I already talked about. We are increasing the income eligibility, moving up from $38,000 to approximately $50,000, allowing that many more workers to be able to work and pay lower taxes so they can spend that money on their families, on their kids’ education, on their kids’ activities, on whatever cost that they need.

On the new Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit and the new Ontario Staycation Tax Credit—we all know that the Ontario hospitality industry suffered tremendously throughout the pandemic. Restaurants, hotels and many businesses were affected dramatically with a dramatic downturn in business; many struggled to survive. Our government made the conscious decision to help these businesses weather the tough time by business supports, but we’re also now extending that out. We want the folks in Ontario to travel and see our great province, and at the same time, help the businesses that have struggled so much in our province in the hospitality sector. So we would certainly encourage all Ontarians to take advantage—travel this great province—stay in the great areas, whether it’s Niagara, the Ottawa region, the northern region.

You’re certainly welcome to come to my community of Oakville. Come and stay in the community. Have a meal, spend some time with your family and help our great local businesses that have worked so hard to recover from this pandemic.

What are some other things we implemented in 2022 to help keep costs down?

Beginning in July, we cut gas and diesel fuel tax rates for six months, and we know when that was first introduced the public was overwhelmingly supportive. They recognize that the cost of driving an automobile has skyrocketed. Having an automobile and driving is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Again, whether people need to go to work, drive their families to see loved ones, drive the kids to soccer practice or hockey practice, whatever it may be—businesses—our goal as a government is to help people weather this inflationary pressure. Unfortunately, gas prices have gone up dramatically. The war in Ukraine and supply and demand issues globally have shot up gas prices throughout the world. Unlike the federal government, which is actually pushing the price higher to make things less affordable for families and hard-working people in this province and throughout the country, we’re trying to do our part to weather the storm, to get through this economically uncertain time of high gas prices, high fuel costs, and get through in a manageable way. So we’ve extended this gas tax cut—or we anticipate we will, if passed—through this legislation for another 12 months. We know the people of Ontario, businesses in Ontario will be very happy once this passes.

In October, we increased the general minimum wage from $15 an hour to $15.50 per hour. We know that workers deserve a living wage. We know that people need to be able to get by through this difficult inflationary period. So our government has increased the minimum wage not once but twice in the last 12 months.

In that month, we also rolled out the direct catch-up payments to parents for child education expenses like tutoring or learning supplies and equipment. Again, people have lived through a difficult period. We know students have faced a very difficult period over the last couple of years. I’m sure many members in this Legislature have children in school and they know what they’ve gone through. I know, as a parent of four school-age children, my kids have required extra tutoring supports—no doubt about it—to get through. They have missed some of the quality education that we take for granted in this province. We do have a great education system in Ontario, one of the best in the world. Through no fault of their own, and through the circumstances which happened globally, kids did not get the education that we would expect in this province. So our government made the conscious decision to invest with parents so that would help them weather the storm in education, help them with tutoring supports to help their kids catch up in education. This is critically important. We know that the EQAO and the various measures of students have shown that students have fallen behind, and they do require a catch-up. Whether it’s building new schools, investing in education or helping parents—there’s not one way to help students get through this; it’s a multi-faceted approach. So our government has taken that approach to help parents, kids and the education system as a whole.

Here we stand, in November, with more measures to help keep costs down and promote economic growth.

We’re launching, as my colleague mentioned, a voluntary clean energy credit registry via the bill that would, if approved, boost competitiveness, attract jobs and provide businesses with more choice in how they pursue their environmental and sustainability goals, as enabled by proposed legislation.

Our goal here in Ontario is to be the economic engine of Canada. It’s also to be a leader in environmental stewardship, and we believe we can have both here in this province. Ontario is among the cleanest grids in the entire world; 90% of our energy is emission-free. We have a great nuclear industry, particularly, I know, in the Durham region. We have great companies that are innovating. Ontario has the critical minerals required for electrical vehicle manufacturing. We have a stable government that provides law, order and good government, and is a good place for companies to invest, take the minerals in an ethical and responsible way and contribute to the auto supply chain and the electric vehicle manufacturing chain that we will be building in Ontario.

We’ve had record investments in automobile manufacturing and electric vehicle manufacturing right here in Ontario, whether it was GM in Oshawa, Stellantis in Windsor or with the Ford Motor Co. of Canada, which has been in my riding of Oakville since the 1950s—they’re going to be reconfiguring that plant to make electric vehicles. We are going to make Ontario the global leader in electrical vehicle manufacturing. Ontario will also be a global leader in environmental stewardship, with great sectors and a great opportunity for our province to excel in this in the future.

As noted in the 2022 Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review, Ontario’s Plan to Build: A Progress Update, the government is also providing Ontario’s small businesses with $185 million in tax relief over the next three years. We know businesses in this province have suffered throughout COVID. They are going through supply chain challenges; they are going through labour shortages. There’s turmoil, there’s turbulence in the marketplace, but we have absolute full faith in the businesses and the people of Ontario that we will get through this and come out stronger than ever. But if we can give a helping hand to those entrepreneurs and businesses here in the province to get through it, we will.

The proposed extension of the phase-out of the small business tax rate would benefit approximately 5,500 small businesses right here in our province. We know that small businesses are the backbone of our province. This, of course, is in addition to automatically matching property tax reductions for small businesses within all municipalities that adopt the small business property subclass.

We’re also investing an additional $40 million in the 2022-23 year, for a total of $145 million for the latest round of funding in the Skills Development Fund, which will benefit job seekers. This fund has already helped over 393,000 people take the next step in their careers in in-demand industries. A special shout-out to our Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, for the work he has done in developing the skilled trades here in this province.

We’re also investing an additional $4.8 million over two years, beginning in 2023-24, to expand the Dual Credit Program. This will encourage more secondary school students to enter a career in the skilled trades or in early childhood education. Again, the skilled trades have been an area that we have not promoted in schools, and consequently, we have a huge shortage in these great, high-paying jobs. Our government has taken the initiative to encourage this both in and outside the school and the classroom to get more young people into the skilled trades—more people who traditionally may have not been in the skilled trades, be it women or folks with disabilities. We’re also investing $4.8 million over two years, beginning in 2023-24, in the Dual Credit Program, which I had mentioned.

Now, these last few points in the bill are focused on fostering jobs here in Ontario. Speaker, our province is faced with an historic labour shortage. There are over 387,000 jobs currently unfilled across the province. That’s over 387,000 paycheques going uncollected, 387,000 opportunities not seized. Thousands of businesses are not able to meet customer demand, and I’m sure every one of us in this chamber has experienced that. Whether it’s driving by the ONroute and seeing that some restaurants are closed, seeing restaurant hours diminished—it’s across sectors, across all different types of businesses and industries here, this labour shortage.

Awareness of the challenges that are holding back our economic activity informs our proposal to extend the cuts to the gas tax and diesel fuel tax rates through the bill. The tax rate on gasoline and diesel fuel tax would remain at nine cents per litre until December 31, 2023, putting more dollars back in the pockets of families and businesses here in this province. Extending those cuts would mean that households in this province would save an average of $195 a year between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023.

Helping to manage the costs for Ontario’s 200,000 lowest-income seniors is why, in this bill, we are proposing changes to double the Guaranteed Annual Income System payments for all recipients. This measure, if approved, would span 12 months, starting in January 2023, and be a maximum increase of almost $1,000 per person in 2023. This will have a tremendous impact on the lowest-income seniors in this province.

Another bill proposal relates to how Ontario is home to a robust film and TV production industry. Proposing to expand eligible expenditures to the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit to include location fees would help attract yet more domestic and foreign film and television production to the province. It would incentivize more on-location filming in communities across Ontario to the benefit of those places, whether urban or rural.

Ontario is a great location. We have some of the best talent in the world making movies, TV shows. Let’s incent them and bring more of those folks back to see the beauty of our great province.

Let me close my comments on the Ontario economic outlook and fiscal review and bill by echoing Minister Bethlenfalvy: Together, we have come so far. This government has attracted investments and good jobs. This government is training thousands of skilled workers and helping keep costs down for families. We have made great progress. Working together has got us here, but there is no doubt there is a tough road ahead. We must navigate these uncertain economic times together.

Our government, with this plan we’re proud to report back to the Legislature and the measures in this bill we ask the Legislature to approve, will see Ontario through the days and years ahead. We have a fantastic and great future ahead of us.

Mr. Speaker through to you to the member opposite: I’m sure the member opposite has read the budget, which included a $3.6-billion increase for education funding this fiscal year—$3.6 billion. We tabled that budget in April 2022, took it to the electorate, and that budget was roundly endorsed by the people of Ontario. When we recalled the Legislature back in August to pass that budget, did the member opposite vote for that $3.6-billion increase? No.

Do you know what’s in that increase? That’s funding a large funding envelope for child care so we can—more child care funding to build more schools. The previous government closed 600 schools. You don’t need child care spaces when you close schools. We’re putting them in new schools, in existing schools—mental health supports, tutorial supports, HEPA filters. We’re investing in our children.

And, Mr. Speaker, let’s look at the election. In the pre-election budget review—

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A month ago, I visited the Holland Bloorview children’s rehab hospital in my riding of Don Valley West. This world-class organization develops treatments and supports and provides specialized care for children with disabilities due to illness or trauma. I asked what they needed from the Ontario government. They said that they have a surgical backlog and need more support to clear it. Now, with children’s hospitals overflowing across the province and surgeries being cancelled, bigger backlogs are building.

The economic outlook says the government is holding on to contingency funds in case of unforeseen risk. While this risk of increased hospitalizations was indeed foreseen and called out by many outside this government, will the Minister of Finance acknowledge that they did not foresee this risk and that now is indeed the time to allocate funds from the contingency, to help get sick kids the procedures that they need?

In the economic and fiscal outlook, the minister states that his government “has always been open and transparent.” I just came from the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which, it appears, will now not be reviewing the estimates of the ministry. When presented with an opportunity to reschedule, his colleagues refused to find the time to ensure that the residents of Ontario, and even their own constituents, would get answers about government expenditures.

Does the Minister of Finance agree with his colleagues’ decision to block the review of his ministry’s estimates? And, if not, when would he be willing to meet with the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs to be open and transparent with members of provincial Parliament?

It is indeed a pleasure to be here in Ontario’s Legislature for this afternoon debate on the fall economic statement. I do want to say that it’s really interesting timing, personally, because this morning—I don’t think that the goal around the financing of the province’s expenditures has full transparency. The reason I say this is that earlier today, in SCOFEA, the finance committee, we were supposed to be addressing the estimates for the Ministry of Finance—we were also supposed to be looking at the Ministry of Economic Development; we were also supposed to be looking at the Treasury Board, which is very interesting numbers, and we had lots of good questions. Of course, Mr. Speaker, you’ll remember that this government has truncated, streamlined, maybe modernized the estimates process—but in the end, you’ve reduced our time to do our job by a significant amount. We had hoped to have at least, as in past years, 15 hours to explore the finances of this province. We have seen a fairly disturbing trend, I will say, of a lack of transparency about where the money is going.

On that point, this morning, which was in public session, the government called us to this meeting, called the deputy minister and some staff from the Ministry of Finance, knowing full well that the government was not going to present the Minister of Finance or the parliamentary assistant, and that the accountability piece was not going to be happening. I have to say, getting sidelined like that, as the finance critic and the Treasury Board critic, is disrespectful to our democracy. That sidelining has been a theme of this government. I don’t know who the one is behind the curtain pulling the strings and directing these measures—

Interruption.

I have to say, this morning’s process of that committee was incredibly disappointing, and we actually have no recourse—I think this is the most important part for those who are watching, which includes my parents right now—because the government tabled the estimates at the last minute, and then, essentially, we left this place for five weeks because of a municipal election, which prevented us from having that financial oversight and that accountability on the proposed expenditures for the province of Ontario. We normally would be able to question the minister: “Why is there so much money in the contingency fund? These contingency funds are very problematic. Why is there such a strong discrepancy between the Financial Accountability Officer’s numbers and projections around revenue and expenditures versus the government’s version of those finances?” This is n important part of our democracy. It’s actually a really important part around accountability for His Majesty’s official opposition. So I’m really disappointed about that.

The estimates will be deemed passed this Thursday. So we were supposed to be in committee all day today doing our work, and we were supposed to be in committee all day tomorrow doing our work, as was, I believe, social policy. How unfortunate it is that this government has denied us—not just us, because when you deny an MPP from doing their job or exercising their responsibilities, what you are doing is actually denying the people we represent their due course, their due diligence and their financial oversight.

So I had some strong words this morning in committee because I was completely unimpressed with the process. The government pushed this all the way down to the line to actually prevent us from being able to do this important work.

Just in case people were curious about some of the questions that were going to be posed to the Minister of Finance, I think that it’s worth mentioning a few of them. And one of them is really about the process.

What we have seen from this government—and the previous government was pretty bad at it as well—is that when they’re designing a budget—and in this instance, it would be the fall economic statement. When you’re going through that process, who are you talking to? What questions are you asking? Who’s at the table driving some of the decision-making? Who are you talking to and who are you not talking to? I want to say very clearly, based on the outcomes and this so-called prudent plan from the government, you weren’t talking to doctors, and you certainly weren’t talking to nurses. And we know how you feel about education workers. So they missed out in this fall economic statement, in a very big way. When your process is flawed, then the end product is flawed. So that’s what we have here.

We have a fall economic statement, in which I think the people of this province were expecting a call to action, a recognition, if you will, around cost pressures, around inflationary pressures, around health care pressures, the concern around climate and around connectivity and education—yes, education. It was so topical, of course, because of Bill 28, which the government had to repeal because they had to at least recognize, when private sector unions and public sector unions come together and say, “This will not do”—and quite honestly, I think the labour board, actually, on Bill 28, was going to side on the part of those who were seeking a fair collective bargaining process. This government has, to date, lost 14 court cases, so they are batting 100%—but I’m going to get back to that in just a second.

Really, process does matter—and if you have the responsibility, as the Minister of Finance, as the President of the Treasury Board, as ministers of the crown, who you talk to, who has your ear obviously influences who’s going to get the money. And there are some pretty interesting people who’ve benefited through this process.

It’s interesting, because even on Bill 23—building more houses faster—do you know who was not invited to that process? The Association of Municipalities Ontario. Imagine this: The provincial government, the minister who says that housing is a priority and it needs to be accelerated, even though, in the fall economic statement, housing starts have been downgraded—so you’ve already admitted that’s a false narrative. The housing starts are downgraded for 2022, 2023, 2024. So you’ve already failed on the housing front even before you actually got started. And I would propose to the government that excluding 444 municipalities from those conversations is part of the problem.

When the government finally took Bill 23 out in a very selective consultation process—our critic on this has, I believe, moved some amendments to get more dates so that more people could articulate how concerned they are about housing, where the government is proposing housing, why the government is proposing bulldozing over some of the greenbelt, why they’re using immigration as a scapegoat to move forward this piece of legislation, which will not accomplish what the title of the bill says.

I’m pretty sure this government has a dedicated staffer just to come up with names of bills that are very disconnected from the actual goal of the bill.

I think Working for Workers—that was not about workers, let me tell you.

This accelerated housing bill is not, by their own admission, in their own document, going to accomplish what the government has said it will.

And when you even look at keeping kids in school, when they brought forward Bill 28—such an egregious piece of legislation that overrode charter rights, which actually had in the explanatory note, “This legislation will pass despite human rights.” I’ve never seen that before. Actually, parliamentarians across this country read that piece of legislation and said this is unprecedented. That bill was called Keeping Students in Class—and what happened on the Friday? Students were out of the classroom.

So whoever is doing the titles for your legislation—I would highly recommend that they read the bill before they write the title. It’s just a first, small step—and obviously unsolicited advice.

The fact that you’ve excluded those 444 municipalities from the consultation on Bill 23 does not bode well at all.

If we’d had this opportunity at estimates this morning, I was going to draw attention to the two worlds that exist in this province.

I want to talk about the multi-year fiscal plan, which the Financial Accountability Officer and the Auditor General have also weighed in on.

We like the auditor. She gives us a good reflection, an accurate reflection—she checks the numbers. And we need that all the time in this place.

The Financial Accountability Officer and his projections—he actually has an expenditure monitor. Especially when we are denied, at estimates and finance committee, the ability to do our job, that monitor is our only way of saying, “The government said they’re going to spend $1.5 billion”—you heard $3.5 billion this morning; there’s a lot of billions that get mentioned in this place. Really, the only way that we can truly track the money in this place is through the Financial Accountability Officer. I just want to remind folks: We fought for that position. That budget officer position was part of a minority government—the only minority government I’ve ever served in, back in 2013. We insisted that that position come to this place because we knew that we needed another layer of financial accountability. At that time, there were gas plants that were being cancelled and contracts being cancelled and billions going out through the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Board, and we really didn’t have a good idea of how those decisions were being made. However, the FAO has given us that, and so has the auditor.

It is funny—not in a ha ha kind of way—how people really like the Auditor General when they’re in opposition, but when they get into government they don’t like her so much, because she holds the government to account. She checks the numbers. She looks at the promises that were made in the budgets, and she evaluates where that money went or where it didn’t go.

On the health care file, we need the accountability measures to be increased drastically.

The auditor concluded that the 2022 Ontario budget, especially around the provincial revenue from corporate tax for each of the three years, as well as contingency funds recorded in other program expenses for the three-year period, appears to be overly cautious. So she has said to government—and this is part of the narrative: that we see the government say that you don’t have the money, because you’ve parked it in these contingency funds, which is a fairly new practice.

The Liberals were really good at losing money. These guys are pretty good at hiding money.

Right now, there’s $4.5 billion in contingency funds. The Financial Accountability Officer and the Auditor General have said that the common practice for a responsible government, for a fiscally prudent government, is that you have maybe $1 billion in the contingency fund.

What’s interesting is that the auditor believes that the following are underestimates—this is also part of this government’s track record: You say you’re going to spend the money, but then you don’t. This would have been part of the accountability piece today in estimates. She said, “For the year ending March 31, 2023, corporate tax revenue of $19.7 billion is understated by between $1.5 billion and $3.4 billion.” Well, this matches up with the FAO, who said that this province is going to be running surpluses in 2022, 2023, 2024, all the way up to 2027, to $8.5 billion.

So you have a government that has created a reason—because they’re predicting that they’re going to have $12.9 billion in deficit this year.

I’ll remind the members who are here in the House and the finance minister that the revenue that is coming into this place because of high inflationary costs, because of personal tax revenues, because of corporate tax revenues—in the last quarter, it wiped out our operational deficit for the first time in the province’s history. Because people are paying so much—because people are hurting in the province of Ontario, quite honestly—the revenues coming in to Ontario’s Legislature have drastically increased. In fact, last quarter, instead of having a $13.9-billion deficit, this province had a $2.1-billion surplus. It shocked everybody, to be fair. Nobody predicted it. But what did the government do? They tacked it down onto the debt.

Madam Speaker, when you have a surplus and you have a health care crisis and you’ve been through a pandemic where students in our education system lost the most classroom days out of any province across this country, and you say, “We’re not going to meet these needs. We’re going to put this money over here to the debt, because we’re going to pretend that that crisis doesn’t exist,” that is an abdication of responsibility—and it isn’t just about more money; it’s about strategic investment into health care, it’s about strategic investments into education. Instead of the shiny little baubles of $389 million with a $200 cheque—which will pay for maybe two hours of tutoring, if you can get it. We’ve all seen the advertisement from the Ministry of Education for private tutorial services. This does not wash. If you are looking at investments and if you look at a budget almost as a moral document that indicates your priorities as a government—that’s what a budget should do. It should tell the story of what you think is important.

This government, in the last quarter, with that $2.1-billion surplus, said, “The debt is more important than ICU capacity for children across the province at CHEO and SickKids”—and the story that I told this morning from Waterloo region of a child who was suffering from respiratory illness and was sent home because they didn’t have the resources at the hospital, even though the hospital said to them, “In normal times, we would keep your three-year-old son here to monitor him, because that’s in his best interests, but we don’t have beds.”

So what I say to the finance minister—obviously, we see the way that the finances in this province are being distributed very, very differently.

Had I been the finance minister, or if we had had a say in where that money would go, that money would have gone into education, it would have gone into hospitals, and it would have gone into health care. It would not have gone to the debt, when you have CHEO at 138% capacity. These are choices. And to question the Minister of Health this morning and to get the sound bites and the talking points that do not reflect the reality of what’s actually happening in this province is truly—well, I call it irresponsible; there are other unparliamentary words that I could choose, but I’m respectful of you, as a new Speaker.

When you look at what the Auditor General has said, the disconnect between the numbers that are projected here in the fall economic statement—and what she has said is that corporate tax revenue in 2023 could be between $1.5 billion and $3.4 billion; corporate tax revenue in 2024 could be between $1.9 billion and $3.9 billion; and, for the year ending March 2025, corporate tax revenue could be between $2.1 billion and $4.2 billion. The government is creating a narrative that this is a time of austerity when they have money.

Somebody sent me an email and they said that paying down the debt, the $2.1 billion, when you have a health care crisis and you have a crisis around child care and you have environmental degradation happening, when you have other choices, would be like you saying, “Oh, I’m going to pay down my mortgage, but I’m not going to feed my children or think about clothing or heating.” It’s a messed-up priority in these times, and especially with the cost of living. We have a 40-year-high inflationary rate of 6.9%.

The government clearly had not met with OCUFA or the faculty or students across this province—or maybe they just don’t care. OSAP funding in the fall economic statement, by your own admission, is underspent, which leads to a very good question. I have the University of Waterloo, I have Wilfrid Laurier, and I have Conestoga College—I hear from students all the time, and they’re trying to access financial aid. What’s going on that the government has allocated $990 million and that is underspent? What’s happening with that? That would be an opportunity, at estimates, to ask the Minister of Finance this question. And I want to point out that the interest on OSAP loans is prime plus one. Not only are students graduating into very precarious work and very precarious working conditions, but now they have this extra load of debt to carry with them.

Just on this last piece, around the multi-year fiscal plan, this is a direct quote from the auditor: “When revenues are underestimated, the perception can be that the government has less funds available for decision-making than can be reasonably expected.”

She demonstrated that the government underestimated corporate income tax revenue by $7.9 billion and $7.8 billion, respectively.

“The amount budgeted for contingencies appears overly cautious. Given the nature of contingency funds, it is challenging to assess their reasonableness.” This has also been said by the Financial Accountability Officer.

It is unprecedented, really, for a government to just have a pile of cash sitting over here and not have it allocated. If the rationale by the finance minister is that we’re waiting for a rainy day, well, I would like to inform the government that it is raining, it is storming, and people are hurting in this province. You’re benefiting from high inflationary costs, from a personal tax perspective, from a corporate tax perspective, so more revenue is coming into this place, and you are not passing on the savings.

We need proper rent control in the province of Ontario.

You’re not recognizing that heating bills continue to go up.

You’re not recognizing the potential of a strong conservation program for housing, which also creates jobs.

You’re not recognizing that food costs are going up and up and up. More seniors and more students right now are using food banks than they ever have in the history of the province. Seniors are going to food banks.

Has this government addressed the price gouging that’s happening from the large corporate grocers? It’s like it doesn’t even exist. It’s almost like what happens with the insurance: “We’re really going to ask the insurance industry to be kind to their drivers who aren’t getting into accidents.” It is lame, lame, lame.

Why would the government—they tabled this budget six months ago, prior to the election, and then when we came back, they tabled it again. They know that people are really struggling.

The Financial Accountability Officer said something really interesting. In his October 27 report, where he does say that in this year we’re projecting a $100-million surplus—that number obviously does not jibe with what the finance minister said: a $1.9-billion deficit. He was asked, “Why are you, as a budgetary officer, not saying that we’re going to be in a recession?” He said, “We’re on a razor’s edge in the province of Ontario.” There is obviously money there to address that—but he said it would take one more economic shock, like global lockdowns, lockdowns in Ontario; this would be the tipping point. The finance minister knows this. The President of the Treasury Board knows this. If you want to prevent an economic downturn, a recession—and the Financial Accountability Officer says we’re on a razor’s edge—we need to do everything to prevent a lockdown. Why wouldn’t you invest in health care? Why wouldn’t you invest in ventilation programs for our schools, for our classrooms? Those ventilation programs, those HVAC programs not only are good for students—because obviously its goal is to try to keep students healthy—but it creates very good local jobs. They can’t be outsourced to China. So there’s an accountability piece there around health and safety and revenue. When you create more jobs, the province generates more revenue. It’s a win-win-win solution. And does this government acknowledge it in the fall economic statement? Things have changed fairly drastically. To listen to the health minister this morning—of course, she said, “We knew this was all going to happen, and we had planned for it.”

We have absolute chaos. Sometimes it feels like that is the playbook. Why else would you bring in a piece of legislation like Bill 28, which was never about kids in classrooms? Of course, it was an epic failure. It was using the nuclear option of using the “notwithstanding” clause during collective bargaining. I don’t know who came up with that idea. I still haven’t figured out who the person is behind the curtain pulling the strings. Clearly, that was intended to start a fire, and I think at the end of the day the government was surprised that they got so burned by it. But it did bring people together, I would say.

In estimates, there would have obviously been good questions around the autism file. I think this latest—it’s 56,000 children waiting?

I have a very simple question for the member: Why does your government’s fiscal update not include any new money in the health care budget?