I want to introduce Brooke Timpson, a friend and a former staffer here at Queen’s Park. Welcome.

I’d like to welcome board members Pamela Baker and Stephen Harvey from RTOERO. Welcome. RTOERO is an association of retirees associated with education. Welcome to your House.

Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute pleasure to introduce His Holiness Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni Ji, Dr. Mahendra Jain, Anshul Rohil, Mahendra Bhandari, Prakash Kumar and Harshit Shah from the Jain Society of Toronto in Scarborough, and a resident of Mississauga–Malton, Tanvi Nagda.

As I mentioned, the Premier highlighted a couple of weeks ago in Niagara Falls that that contract had ended and Mr. Massoudi is no longer working for PC caucus services.

Mr. Massoudi himself, I’m told, has never been registered to lobby the government. If she has a complaint, I would suggest that she take that up with the Integrity Commissioner and I’m sure he will investigate that further. But as I said, he’s no longer employed by PC caucus research services.

The slogan “for the people” isn’t just a slogan for us; it is at the core of what we do. Everything that we do, since 2018, has been about advancing the people of the province of Ontario, unleashing the economy. Now we’re going to tackle the housing affordability crisis that they helped create with the Liberals. It’s about doing what’s right for the people of the province of Ontario. This Premier is not going to stop doing that. This caucus won’t stop doing that. The only people getting in the way are the opposition and their partners in the Liberal Party.

Interjections.

I’ll tell you what happened in the last election: We went to the people of the province of Ontario and we said that we’re going to continue to unleash the power of the economy of Ontario. Do you know why? Because it’s not only good for the people of Ontario; it’s good for all of Canada when Ontario succeeds. That’s why people from Alberta are here: because they want to see what we’re doing, and it is good for all of Canada.

So I tell the member opposite, take a look behind you. There are so many fewer NDP members in that caucus. Do you know why? Because the people of the province Ontario put their faith in a Progressive Conservative government to continue to build the economy, to tackle the housing affordability crisis and to continue a bigger, better, bolder Ontario.

Interjections.

We said, in 2018, colleagues—remember when we said that a carbon tax would hurt the province of Ontario’s economy? What did they say? No. We said federal policies of high taxes, red tape and the carbon tax would hurt the Ontario economy. They said no, and they doubled down to support the federal Liberals.

You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to fight it every step of the way. We’re going to continue to cut taxes, continue to cut red tape, because we don’t accept high interest rates that are what happens when you do all the things they want to us do. It takes too many people out of the economy and won’t—

At the same time, we are focused on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario, and that is growing the economy. There is no doubt—there is no doubt that we made a public policy decision that was not supported by the people of the province of Ontario when we suggested we would open up the greenbelt to expedite housing. We accept that responsibility, Mr. Speaker.

What we will not accept is the opposition’s continued obstruction on building new homes for the people of the province of Ontario. You know what? People want out of their parents’ basement. They want to have a home for themselves so that they can build bigger, better opportunities and futures for their families. We’ll remain focused on that. We’ll get the job done, Mr. Speaker.

The supplementary question.

Start the clock. Supplementary.

The final supplementary.

Back to the Premier: We all remember Mr. Massoudi for his participation in the infamous Las Vegas boys’ trip with greenbelt land speculator Shakir Rehmatullah. Last week, journalists asked the Premier’s office about Mr. Massoudi’s lucrative contract and a spokesperson for the Premier said that the contract has ended and he has no formal role.

When exactly did the contract with Mr. Massoudi’s firm, Atlas strategies, end?

Back to the Premier: Which is it?

Back to the Premier: Government lawyers have now confirmed that the Premier routinely uses his personal devices to conduct government business. The Premier was warned by the Information and Privacy Commissioner that government business must be conducted on government devices and platforms. It’s about basic transparency. This is not new.

Why has the Premier refused to follow the commissioner’s guidance?

Back to the Premier: It’s really important to remember that the commissioner’s guidance came after staff in this Premier’s office were caught using personal email accounts to arrange for the Premier’s souped-up custom van.

The people of Ontario are not going to be played for fools. Did the Premier intentionally continue to use personal devices in order to avoid freedom-of-information requests?

So to the Premier: Will his personal phone logs reveal conversations with the very land speculators who benefited from preferential treatment by this government?

Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier.

Speaker, the details just don’t add up on the former minister’s trip to Vegas with a greenbelt speculator. The member for Mississauga East–Cooksville, Mr. Massoudi and Mr. Truesdell all suspiciously and consistently told the Integrity Commissioner that their trip was in 2019 when it actually occurred months later. The former minister said he only saw the developer in the lobby. Now it’s reported that they got spa services at the same time.

Would the Premier agree, as a generally accepted practice, that members of the Ontario Legislature shall present only honest and true information to the Integrity Commissioner?

Back to the Premier: When we’re elected to this Legislature, we all take an oath; we pledge that we will all perform our duties honestly. Key members of the Premier’s staff and a former cabinet minister all mistakenly misremembered the date of a luxurious trip to Vegas consistently, can’t recall exactly how they paid for the trip and don’t mention the good-luck massage. What’s worse, their story was only corrected when the media reported evidence to the contrary.

How can we trust this Premier to hold members accountable for violating the Members’ Integrity Act when he himself won’t follow the recommendations of officers of the Legislature?

It’s just the opposite, Mr. Speaker. Not only did we accept the 15 recommendations of the Auditor General; we are going even further by ensuring that the boundaries of the greenbelt are codified in law, something that has never happened before.

He talks about integrity in government. Look, we are building a bigger, better, stronger province of Ontario. But when he says about the oath that they signed, I wonder if the former member from Brampton would feel the same way. You remember Kevin Yarde, right? You remember Kevin Yarde. I wonder what the former member from York South–Weston might think about your integrity pledge over there, Mr. Speaker.

I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to continue to focus on what matters for the people of the province of Ontario, and that’s building a bigger, better, stronger economy that brings everybody into that prosperity, Mr. Speaker, because you know what? We want kids out of their basements. We want them in a home of their own. We want them to help build a better Ontario for future generations. If that’s not what our job is, then what else is it to do here, Mr. Speaker?

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. The previous Liberal government, with support from the NDP, watched as life sciences companies in Ontario backed up their operations and went to innovate in other jurisdictions. Thankfully, our government took immediate action to fix this, and our province’s life sciences sector is now recognized as a global leader. However, in view of ongoing and emerging needs for life-saving medications and interventions, it is crucial that our government continue to prioritize investments in this critical sector.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to support the life science sector?

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on some of the investments our government has been able to secure in the life sciences sector?

Speaker, Ontario is the largest life sciences jurisdiction in Canada. It’s home to 19,000 firms and 70,000 workers. In just three years, we have attracted $3 billion in new investments in the life sciences sector. That is why our government launched a new life sciences strategy. This is the very first strategy in over a decade, and it will help us grow the number of jobs in the life sciences sector to 85,000 by 2030. It includes $15 million in a Life Sciences Innovation Fund, which will help entrepreneurs take their innovative ideas to market. And it includes a Life Sciences Council, which we’re working with right now to find opportunities to increase our companies’ competitiveness and encourage the adoption of Ontario-made innovations.

Speaker, these investments are a vote of confidence in Ontario’s thriving sector—

My question is to the Premier. Six years ago, the Scottish people found out Phil Verster, then CEO of ScotRail, was receiving a salary of $430,000, a $28,000 rent supplement, a $16,000 car allowance and full private health care for himself and his family. Mr. Verster got these perks, Speaker, despite months of delays, malfunctions and fare hikes in Scotland’s rail system. He resigned in disgrace in 2017, but the Liberals then hired him to run Metrolinx in 2017 and he has failed to deliver transit on-budget and on time ever since. But the government just renewed Mr. Verster’s contract. Reports are suggesting he could earn up to $1 million a year with God knows how many perks.

My question to the Premier: Why are you rewarding failure?

Speaker, a simple question to the government and to the Premier: Will he stand up for transit riders and transit workers, demand accountability at Metrolinx and fire Phil Verster today?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker, our government is investing $70.5 billion in the next 10 years into the largest transit expansion in the history of Canada. We have multi-billion-dollar projects like the GO rail expansion program and four priority subway programs.

Since 2018, the scope of Metrolinx has significantly expanded. We are focusing on building the Ontario Line and have more shovels in the ground for the Scarborough subway. After 30 years of inaction from the former Liberal government, supported by the NDP, we are getting shovels in the ground. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are making the largest investment across Ontario. We are making life more affordable.

Interjections.

They voted more than once against that. We are making life more affordable.

Interjections.

Speaker, through you to the Premier: The Premier has constantly claimed that there is no government spending on the greenbelt scandal. Yet just two days after the Auditor General released a damning report about the greenbelt grab, this government started flooding the airwaves with an ad campaign attempting to salvage their image.

So first, this government takes greenbelt lands to enrich their friends. Next, they take tax dollars to try to change the channel. Will the Premier tell us how much this vanity project is costing the people of Ontario?

In fact, what we’re doing is highlighting for the people of the province of Ontario that this government is focused on their priorities. Housing is a priority not just for Progressive Conservative voters, but it’s a priority for all Ontarians. Regardless of what side of the House you come on, you should be focused on that.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the NDP and the Liberals have voted against every single measure that we have put on the table to help unleash the housing sector in the province of Ontario. In fact, it has literally taken us five years to undo the damage that was done by the Liberals, supported by the NDP. And it’s going to take us still even more, because we’re going to be bringing even more bills forward to help ensure that we can get homes built in communities across Ontario, who are calling us and saying that they want to participate.

I don’t know why the NDP are against—well, I do know why the NDP are against building homes, because it’s the same thing: They want people to be dependent on government. We want people to be able to flourish on their own with the support of the government when they need it. That’s the difference between us and them.

But here, it comes down to one thing: Over and over and over and again, tax, spend, doom and gloom. What we’re going to focus on is building Ontario stronger than it was before. We’re going to be working with those businesses that want to invest here, the people around this country who are looking at Ontario and saying, “We need you to continue to prosper,” because it’s not only for the people of the province of Ontario; it is good for all of Canada when Ontario prospers.

We will not be deterred in our mission to build more homes, to get kids out of their parents’ basements so they can have all the same benefits that we have had. Only the NDP want to keep them in the basements, and of course the Liberals will help them do it.

I was just in Ottawa, actually, last Thursday, speaking with Mayor Sutcliffe, and he is every bit as excited as we are to help build more homes in his community because he understands how important it is. Now, the one thing he did say to me is that federal government policies are hurting his city. There’s not a return-to-work in a lot of instances, so it’s really hurting the people of downtown Ottawa. So we’re going to do our part to ensure that Ottawa prospers, that Ottawa grows. We have incredible members—the member for Nepean and the member for Carleton—who are helping every single day.

Despite the fact the member opposite does nothing to help us, we’re building long-term care homes, we’re building transit, we’re building transportation, we’re making incredible investments in Ottawa to help the city grow, Mr. Speaker. I hope he’ll get on board and help us do the same.

My question is for the Premier. Last year, the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing overrode Ottawa’s urban boundary expansion and added an additional 654 hectares for development after city council had already evaluated and added other lands. The former minister added lands that were so unsuitable for development because of their agricultural designation that they weren’t even evaluated by experts. This includes a 37-hectare parcel on Watters Road in Orléans that was designated an agricultural resource and is an active farm.

After the city confirmed this designation, the farm was purchased by a group that has donated significantly to the Conservative Party and stood to make millions from the development. After holding up the city’s official plan for two years and after receiving tens of thousands of dollars in donations from the landowners, the former minister added these lands to Ottawa’s urban boundary.

Mr. Speaker, can the Premier share with us the process used to evaluate the suitability of these lands for inclusion in the boundary, who was involved in that determination, and what influence, if any, did political contributions and personal relationships have on the decision?

Well, we know, the public knows and this government knows that the greenbelt grab was never about housing. Instead of building affordable and sustainable housing, this government is spending taxpayers’ dollars on a PR campaign to distract from their scandal.

The people of Ontario deserve clear, decisive answers on how public dollars are being used. Will this government tell Ontarians how much this ad campaign is costing them?

Stop the clock.

The House will come to order.

Interjection.

Interjections.

Interjections.

Start the clock. Next question.

I’m not sure how I can follow up that answer.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and the Minister of Northern Development. The previous Liberal government, propped up by the NDP, drove jobs out of Ontario and failed to unlock our province’s full economic potential. In contrast to the failed leadership of the previous Liberal government, we must recognize and respect that Indigenous businesses are valuable in supporting critical supply chains across many sectors. Our government must appreciate their unique perspectives and contributions in the business sector, which are essential in building a stronger Ontario. While our government has implemented positive measures to ensure that all Ontarians have the opportunity to participate in our growing economy, more needs to be done to support Indigenous communities.

Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is increasing economic prosperity for Indigenous people across Ontario?

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Indigenous communities in ways that will strengthen their economic prosperity?

I thank the member for his question. This is about engaging First Nations leadership and First Nations business leaders in their own forums, Mr. Speaker, talking about opportunities in legacy infrastructure projects, major energy corridor projects. Not less than a couple of weeks ago, we talked with a number of chiefs about some exciting hydroelectricity projects that won’t just supply their communities but will also host anchor tenants in the resource sector. In southwestern Ontario, we’ve established table-specific, project-specific opportunities where First Nations business leaders and business leaders have an opportunity to get in the same room and talk about real opportunities and take action.

We are a participant at those tables. We’re seeing real progress being made with Ontario’s First Nations’ economic development businesses.

These are all examples of communities that are moving forward on key business projects that support their community and the surrounding area for a greater, more fulsome sense of prosperity that includes First Nations people, their communities and their businesses.