The Premier and our team spent considerable time with US lawmakers, and we made a very solid case for what we call a buy-North America stance. And this ended with a personal visit to Washington to visit with Canada’s ambassador, Kirsten Hillman. Now we can proudly say that our team efforts paid off, as the US-only EV program is now the North American vehicle credit.

This is yet another reason that automakers and those in the supply chain will continue to invest billions of dollars in Ontario’s emerging world-class EV sector. By reversing the damage the Liberals and the NDP caused over more than a decade, we’ve reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by $7 billion annually. And Speaker, it’s no wonder that we’ve already attracted $16 billion in EV investments and thousands of jobs over the last 20 months.

Ontario’s automotive sector is in a stronger position today than it ever was under the previous government; $16 billion in transformative EV investments in 20 months did not happen by accident. This is a new era for the province and our autoworkers. We’re bringing jobs back. We’re bringing investments to communities the Liberals neglected, like Loyalist in the east, Cobalt in the north and Windsor in the west. That’s how we’re driving prosperity. Ontario’s auto is back.

My constituent Andrew reached out to me saying, “I make decent money as an engineer but there is no way I will be able to afford a house in the next 10 years. It makes me want to leave. Many believe that zoning and supply are the issues, but demand is artificially generated by those who are rich enough to speculate and pay cash. Their greed will never run out.”

Speaker, every housing expert notes that supply alone didn’t create the housing crisis; speculators with insider connections did.

What is this government doing to stop the rampant speculation taking home ownership out of reach for young families and tenants?

Speaker, while encampments grow in every Ontario city, why is this government worsening inflation by allowing a historic rent increase?

I thank my honourable colleague for the question.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to housing, supply is absolutely the issue in this House, and I’m not sure why my colleagues in opposition continuously fight that.

As a result of inaction by the previous government, we are in a housing crisis in Ontario right now and every single person in this province is feeling it, which is why, under the leadership of this minister and this Premier and this government, we are making a difference.

Last year alone, 100,000 starts started right here in this province. That’s over—

Interjections.

When we are talking about helping Ontarians, we’re talking about housing across for every single province.

Speaker, every single initiative that we’ve put forward, the opposition has voted against. They have let the people of this province down. We’re going to fight for them every single day to make sure that life is more affordable and everyone has a safe and loving home to go to.

The Minister of Long-Term Care to respond.

I thank the member for the question. It’s a very good question, because we have heard some discrepancies on how this will work.

One of the reasons why we need to be able to work with families is so that we can assess what homes are available in and around the patient’s preferred choice. Does the home, as part of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, provide the resources that are needed? Does it require the extra resources, and does it have the staffing and the care available for a patient who might be discharged? That is what this act allows us to do that it didn’t allow us to do. Again, as you know, as part of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, nobody can be discharged into a home that does not have the appropriate level of care for the person who is becoming a resident of that home.

What the policy allows us to do is reflect on the fact that vaccinations have made such a difference in long-term-care homes across the province of Ontario. Fully 81% of our eligible residents have received a fourth dose. What we are doing, of course, is that there are currently 2,000 beds that have been set aside for isolation purposes. This policy will take about 1,000 of those beds and make them available for the acute care system, leaving in place over a thousand beds for isolation purposes. Of course, homes still have to provide an emergency plan.

To the specific question on outbreaks: There are still 167 homes, down from 197 homes, that are in outbreak. To put it into context, 34% of those are asymptomatic cases; 10% of the homes in outbreak have absolutely no resident cases, and 60% of the homes that are considered in outbreak have between one and 10 cases.

So a lot of work has been done to ensure our seniors are safe in long-term care.

I was waiting for this member to ask a housing question because I wanted, from our government’s perspective, to find out which MPP is here today. Was it the Toronto city councillor who talked about supporting more housing construction? Or was it the Toronto city councillor who once threatened to take this government to court about consulting on the building code and the recommendations regarding the Algoma mall? Or was it—Speaker, through you—the councillor who once threatened to create her own red-light system to stop development of housing in her riding?

Over and over again, we’ve seen New Democrats not support when we want to strengthen penalties for bad landlords. We’ve seen New Democrats vote against increased support for tenants who were wrongfully evicted. Which New Democratic Party stands here today: the one that’s going to support our government when we stand up for tenants or the one that always blocks new construction?

Speaker, the minister has stated that long-term care can be part of the solution to what has been a decades-long challenge in the acute care system. Part of the government’s plan includes elimination of isolation rooms that have been set aside for COVID outbreaks in-home. There are currently a number of homes across the province in outbreak. Will this policy not put these residents at risk? Is the minister declaring victory over COVID at this time when no one else is?

Denise, a 31-year-old Toronto woman, is in need of a home that can accommodate her wheelchair and is free of chemicals and strong smells because she has multiple chemical sensitivities. However, Denise can’t afford any apartment that meets these criteria because she is on ODSP. Unable to afford housing that can accommodate her disabilities, Denise has applied for medical assistance in dying. It is absolutely horrifying that anyone in Ontario should be forced to choose death because they can’t afford to live.

Will the Premier commit to doubling Ontario Works and ODSP immediately so that everyone in Ontario can afford to live?

Under the previous Liberal government, Ontarians experienced energy insecurity like they had never seen before. Because of the Liberals’ reckless energy policies there were families that had to choose between heating or eating. Businesses left Ontario because we were deemed to be not competitive and too costly of a jurisdiction. Worst of all, we saw the opposition publicly muse about getting rid of our nuclear capabilities altogether.

Let me be clear: We can never allow our energy system to be compromised at the expense of all Ontarians. Ontario’s nuclear energy sector provides reliable and environmentally sound energy for our entire province. The continued use of nuclear energy in Ontario will displace approximately 80 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Speaker, could the Minister of Energy please explain how our government is enhancing our energy strength by partnering with the nuclear sector and ensuring that the technological advancements that Ontario is pioneering are first and foremost?

Ontario can step up and show leadership and demonstrate that we are a trusted, capable, stable worldwide nuclear leader. Ontario’s nuclear ingenuity and know-how is unmatched, and our record of success is unparalleled. We just need a government that is willing to support this vital industry.

Speaker, can the Minister of Energy explain how our government will advance this nuclear technology knowledge and provide leadership to other jurisdictions? What is the government doing when it comes to showing the world that Ontario is the leader when it comes to small modular reactor technology?

Remarks in Oji-Cree.

Good morning. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, there are multiple Indigenous-led conservation projects in Ontario. Two are in Kiiwetinoong: Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug—KI—and Grassy Narrows.

Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas are a necessary tool to protect the lands and the biodiversity of the north, but Ontario law does not recognize IPCAs as a protected area. Speaker, why does Ontario have no process to enable Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas?

This government must not resist the efforts of Indigenous peoples to protect these lands, because this government—one of the ministers—has been trying, attempting, to block the ICPAs. Will Ontario support KI’s efforts to protect their lands and waters?

Thank you to the member opposite for that important question. Speaker, I think it’s important that each and every action that I take as Minister of the Environment and that this government takes is done with Indigenous communities. That’s why when I heard from Chief Duquette at Dokis First Nation about important work we’re doing on adjusting boundaries, we said yes. We said yes as a government: We would work with them to address measures within the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, to work—listening—with the First Nations community.

When Merv Cheechoo spoke with us when I was up in Treaty 9 territory and asked about greater protections for French River, we said yes. These are all actions taken by Indigenous leaders, and each and every time we’ve listened. We’ve worked with them to explore the art of the possible. But it’s important to note, Speaker, that this is led by and for Indigenous communities, and I’ll always be willing to work alongside them to achieve their goals and objectives.

When it comes to protecting water and working together, it is this government that, for the first time ever, launched the First Nations Advisory Circle through a mandate that I issued at the Ontario Clean Water Agency. Again, underscored by the principle “never about us without us,” we continue to work with Indigenous communities to protect water in the north.

And, Speaker, it’s this government that has led unprecedented plastic-capture technology on our Great Lakes. It’s this government that is working at unlocking the potential that is the north. When I was on Treaty 9 territory, Chief Archibald welcomed the opportunity that EVs present the north to unlock the potential of this province. We understand—

Thanks to the member opposite for the question. That’s exactly why our government is committed to a reliable, affordable, sustainable and clean energy sector. That’s why we’re leveraging small modular reactors and our first-mover status that we have so that we can untap the benefits to our economy in Ontario, in Canada and, indeed, around the world.

This past spring we announced our vision to partner with other provinces—New Brunswick, Alberta, Saskatchewan—for the deployment of small modular reactors across the country. We’re also creating new opportunities to export Ontario’s goods, technology and expertise to North America and around the world, especially in Eastern Europe.

Last week I joined OPG and one of the largest electrical utilities in the United States, the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA, to announce a collaboration that’s going to allow TVA to replicate what we’re doing with small modular reactors here in Ontario: a first grid-scale SMR. That’s why we’re going to continue to unlock the potential of SMR for our environment and our economy.

We also need to be ready for an increased demand for clean, reliable and affordable electricity here in Ontario. Whether it’s the electrification of our transportation sector, powering new electric vehicles, or EVs, or making green steel with electric arc furnaces, our economy is growing and it’s electrifying. Nuclear power is going to continue to be a key part of Ontario’s clean electricity grid.

As we move towards a clean energy future, it’s clear that there is no path forward without nuclear energy to get us to net zero.

It gives me great pleasure to present the following petition on behalf of Dr. Marja Salminen at Vogue Optical Masonville. It reads:

“Petition to Save Eye Care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

We’ve been doing this for a year. It’s time to get this done. I fully support this and will sign it and deliver it with page Pallas.

A petition entitled “Fix the Baitfish Zoning Boundaries in the Northwestern and Northeastern Regions:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the bait management zones in certain towns make it impossible for anglers to purchase live bait in their respective zone and go fishing in the area because of set boundaries;

“Whereas 95% of all stocked lakes near Hearst are situated west, and no legal option to purchase live bait and go fishing on those nice, stocked lakes;

“Whereas all the time and money spent throughout the years by government trying to stock those lakes and keep a healthy trout population for fishing enthusiasts to enjoy;

“Whereas the owners of outfitters in the region can no longer purchase their baitfish in the area with the new zoning and no other options exist by road to purchase baitfish in their zone close to the lodge;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“—to allow an exception or exemption option for the north, especially for towns like Chapleau, Wawa and Hearst, where two zones are separated based on the railway lines or roads;

“—to call on the Ford government and the Minister of Natural Resources to re-evaluate this new zoning regulation to make logistics possible for all anglers to purchase live baitfish and to enjoy this sport that represents our lifestyle in northern Ontario.”

I’m happy to sign this petition and give it to Zane to bring to the Clerks’ table.

I want to thank all the people of Byron who signed petitions at Byron Optometry to save eye care in Ontario. The petition reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government;...

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I support this petition, affix my signature and will send it to the table with page Ria.

In this chamber, we have the monumental responsibility of serving 15 million people across our great province. I will never forget that the people of Don Valley East have put their trust in me to be their champion and fight for them every single day. Even though Ontarians can hold us to account during elections every four years, the reality is that we are accountable every day, and my bill upholds that commitment.

The Publication of Mandate Letters Act sets out to define what mandate letters are and outlines the expectation that all letters to—

Thank you to the member opposite. My heart goes out to anyone facing difficulty in their lives, such as the individual you mention. That is exactly why our government has increased the ODSP rates to a really decades-long largest increase in this program. This is historic, and it’s not the only thing we use to support people in their time of need.

There are those who cannot work, and we support them through ODSP, through a variety of social assistance programs, the LIFT tax credit, the CARE tax credit, dental benefits for elderly low-income seniors. We’re continuing to allow discretionary benefits to be used for people in unusual circumstances. We’re working with our municipalities in that shared vision of how we improve the lives of people who aren’t able to work while creating the training programs and the job readiness programs for those who can work, and we’ll continue to do that important work.

This is something they’re also working on with the federal government, to make sure that they bring forth and fulfill their commitment to the Canadian disability benefit and also the programs for the supports through the federal government but also our municipalities, understanding that partnership is so important.

Whether it’s improving access to housing across ministries, whether it’s the Ministry of Health creating programs to support people in their time of need, this is a multi-ministry effort. It is across municipal governments. It is across layers of government, including the federal government, and we’ll continue to work for solutions. This is an important area, allowing people to get the support they need, when they need it.

An extra $50 a month isn’t going to get anyone housing in this market, Speaker.

Denise is not alone. Tracey Thompson, who contracted long COVID in March 2020, has recently applied for medical assistance in dying as well. Tracey, who is not even able to get ODSP because long COVID is not recognized by the program, has been clear that her application is exclusively a financial consideration. She wants to live, but she can’t afford to.

Speaker, we have reached a point in Ontario where people are being forced to choose between a quick death before the money runs out and a long, painful, slow death without financial support. Why is the Premier not taking action to address poverty?

Thank you to the member from Brampton North for that very good question. Russia’s war in the Ukraine, tension in Asia and inflation that we haven’t seen in four decades are driving up global prices, but this government will always be there for the people of Ontario in these uncertain times. That is why our government raised the minimum wage, and will raise it again in October to $15.50 an hour. That is why we eliminated the need for licence plate stickers and renewal fees, saving drivers up to $120 per year. That’s why we’re proposing the enhanced LIFT tax credit, providing additional relief for those making less than $50,000 a year. With this change, 1.1 million low-income workers would see an additional $300 on average in tax relief in 2022.

The best way to support workers and families is to put more money back into their pockets, Mr. Speaker, and that’s exactly what this government is doing.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, for families trying to make ends meet, high gas prices are never a blessing in disguise. This government understands that high gas prices are a financial burden on many Ontarians, taking hard-earned money out of their pockets—for families, for workers and for seniors. That’s why this government is focused on keeping costs down. That’s why this government eliminated the Liberals’ cap-and-trade tax scheme. This government temporarily cut the gas tax by 5.7 cents per litre through our Tax Relief at the Pumps Act.

Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. According to Statistics Canada, the price of gas fell furthest in Ontario because of our gas tax—