I seek unanimous consent of the House for a moment of silence for the victims of the violence in Israel and Palestine.

Can the Premier confirm that his government is currently under criminal investigation by the RCMP?

This Premier told voters he was different. He said his party wouldn’t put insiders first, like the Liberals did. He promised to end cronyism, and that was the cronyism that brought that government down. Well, the Premier broke that promise. And five years later, this Premier and his government are under criminal investigation by the RCMP.

Speaker, to the Premier: How can the people of this province trust their government when it’s under active criminal investigation?

Interjections.

I’m very pleased and honoured to welcome Dr. Charlotte Yates, president of the University of Guelph, to the House today.

Look, Mr. Speaker, we of course will be working with the RCMP as they undertake a review of the greenbelt.

At the same time, it is very rich hearing the Leader of the Opposition talk about affordability when on every single instance that she and her party have had to help put more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario, they have voted against it. When we cut taxes for the lowest-income earners in the province, with the LIFT tax credit, they voted against it. When we were working to bring down hydro rates and to stabilize out-of-control hydro rates—the partnership between the Liberals and the NDP had to put people in the position of choosing between heating or eating—they were voting against that, Mr. Speaker. When we fought tooth and nail to stop the carbon tax, which we said would impact every single Ontarian, every single Canadian, they stood in the way.

They have a good opportunity. They can tell their friends in Ottawa—Mr. Singh in Ottawa—force the federal government to remove the carbon tax to put more money back—

Members will please take their seats.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

I’m going to allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs to respond.

Once again, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Start the clock. The final supplementary.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

As I said, we will work with the RCMP, but by the same token, we are going to move forward with the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario.

The member in her previous question talked about the affordability issues that we’re facing across the province. Now, we have worked hard to bring back 700,000 jobs for the people of the province of Ontario. That’s 700,000 people who have the dignity of a job who did not before. But let’s be very clear: What threatens the prosperity of the province of Ontario is the policies of the Liberals and NDP, the same policies which are seeing high interest rates across the province of Ontario.

We said that when you have out-of-control deficits, out-of-control spending, red tape and regulation, it will bring an economy down. We reversed all of that. We’re seeing jobs come back, and now we need the NDP to do the right thing and tell their friends in Ottawa not to do what they did. Don’t prop up a Liberal government that is putting billions of dollars of taxes on the people who make food, billions of dollars of taxes on the people who deliver food, and billions of dollars of taxes on the people who go to buy food. That’s—

We are going down a different path, a path that is putting more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario, a path that is seeing 700,000 people have the dignity of a job that they didn’t before. But we need help. We need the NDP here in Ontario to stand in their place, call their friends in Ottawa who hold the balance of power and say, “Help us put more money back in the pockets of the people of the province of Ontario. Force the Liberal government to remove the carbon tax on the staples that are so important to the people of the province of Ontario.” Will she do it? I doubt it, because she won’t take lessons in affordability—

But let there be no doubt, despite what we’re hearing from the opposition. I will continue, as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to work with my colleagues to remove obstacles that stand in the way of building homes for the next generation of the people of this province. I will do whatever it takes to hit our target of 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario, and let me put on notice all of our municipal partners that they, indeed, will be doing their part to help us build those 1.5 million homes.

But let there be no doubt: When it comes to leadership, it is this government and this Premier who are showing leadership every single day on the files that matter most to the people of the province of Ontario. Building more homes: We’re getting it done. Building long-term care: We’re getting it done. Putting more money back into people’s pockets: We’re getting it done. Fighting taxes that harm people: We’re getting it done.

This is a leader who had the opportunity to show leadership, to stand up to the anti-Semitic hard left of her party—the first test of leadership that she had. And what did she choose to do? Nothing. She has failed on leadership on her very first test, showing that she’s not fit to hold the office of Premier, ever, and I’m sure the people of the province of Ontario will agree with me on that.

Interjections.

Listen, what we are doing is focusing on the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario. We made a public policy decision that was not supported by the people of the province of Ontario, and that is why we’re returning those lands to the greenbelt. We have co-operated and worked with the Auditor General, we have worked with the Integrity Commissioner, and we will assist the RCMP as they undertake a review of the entire plan.

But let there be no doubt that we will stand firm in our commitment to build 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario. Let there be no doubt that we will continue to fight against carbon taxes, which are decimating this economy across Canada—not only Ontario.

And let there be no doubt that the Leader of the Opposition could show true leadership by standing up against the anti-Semitic hard left of her party. That is also leadership, Mr. Speaker. She could do that today and ask that that member from Hamilton Centre leave this place.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we will stand up for all Ontarians because we know it is the right thing to do.

We won’t be taking any lessons from a government under criminal investigation. The special unit at the RCMP is called the sensitive and international investigations unit. That’s who is investigating this Premier and this government’s actions in relation to the greenbelt. They investigate elected officials on “allegations of fraud, financial crimes, corruption and breach of trust”—fraud, financial crimes, breach of trust, corruption.

Back to the Premier: How can the Premier maintain the confidence of the people when he and his government are being investigated by the RCMP for corruption?

So back to the Premier: This government used to say that it’s for the people. Well, they’ve lost the people’s trust. How do they carry on when they are under an RCMP criminal investigation?

Speaker, weeks ago, the Premier stood in front of the remaining members of his cabinet and claimed he was sorry for their greenbelt grab. But now, in the same breath, he and his minister deny anything untoward happened. This is a scheme—

Interjections.

This is a scheme—I’m going to remind the members opposite—that favoured land speculators and people with Conservative connections who got preferential treatment from this government. It’s a scheme that saw provincial land use policy being decided on the casino floor in Sin City.

Returning the land is not enough to repair the absolutely colossal damage to the people’s trust. When will the Premier confirm that his personal phone records—

Interjections.

Interjections.

I get that that this minister has a job to do—he has to protect his embattled Premier—but these responses show nothing but disdain for the people of this province who have serious questions.

Even after being found to have breached the Members’ Integrity Act, the government voted against an NDP bill to strengthen it; they have refused to produce documents; they voted down a NDP call for a Speaker’s warrant because it was going to protect their friends; and they even voted against NDP legislation, weeks ago, that would have returned land to the greenbelt.

Speaker, back, again, to the Premier: Is he truly sorry, or is he just sorry that he got caught?

Interjections.

Members will please take their seats.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Start the clock. The next question.

A significant visit on so many levels. The province of Ontario stands ready to respond. Regional economic support promoting Ontario’s northern development couldn’t be more critical for a new centre of gravity that is emerging in that municipality and the surrounding First Nations communities.

The focus of that visit with the Premier and I was training, employment, commercial infrastructure and community enhancement. We announced investments in Nedaak, to build a training complex for First Nations to participate in the forest sector; the Minodahmun Development incorporation, to build a commercial plaza right at the heart and soul of where the corridor to prosperity will begin; and some community enhancement projects throughout the municipality of Greenstone, sprucing up some of their arenas and other recreational infrastructure.

We have an enormous opportunity here. The province stands ready. The municipality of Greenstone and the surrounding First Nations communities recognize that.

We also announced the ability of Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services—based in Thunder Bay, but it has more than seven participating First Nations communities all throughout the central corridor of northern Ontario—to provide Red Seal training for young First Nations people.

There’s a lot of work to do. I talked about the infrastructure that we’re building in that corridor. I know the Minister of Energy is really excited about the corridor, which will not only supply Greenstone but move up into the corridor to prosperity. This is a great opportunity. It’s even more awesome to know that it’s going to be built by First Nations young people.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and 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. Instead of support, the north endured insults from the previous Liberal government, who called them a “no man’s land.” That is why our government must recognize the incredible opportunities that exist in northern Ontario and the First Nations communities as we continue to partner with them for their economic growth.

I understand that the Premier recently made a historic visit to the municipality of Greenstone in northwestern Ontario, to witness the incredible economic transformation that is taking place there. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is promoting economic development projects in northern communities, especially in towns like Greenstone?

That is why it is vital that our government continues to make investments that will promote training, education and skills development to fill current and future job vacancies in this important region. Speaker, will the minister please explain how our government is investing in the workers of tomorrow to build up northern communities?

To the Premier: The NDP has obtained a document showing that this government had been planning to build a massive, government-funded parking garage at Ontario Place nearly two years before telling the public. The parking garage will cost half a billion tax dollars, for the benefit of Therme, a private luxury spa. But the original RFP stated that bidders to redevelop Ontario Place would need to work with the existing parking and that the government would not pay for additional parking facilities.

This government is under criminal investigation by the RCMP for the greenbelt grab, and this is yet another suspicious deal. Did the government give Therme preferential treatment by accepting a bid that required a taxpayer-funded parking garage?

Interjections.

It should be no shock to anybody here that the NDP don’t think that two superior police officers—people who have served their community for what, 150 years combined?—are qualified to continue to serve the people of the province of Ontario. That highlights, in itself, the difference between the NDP and the Liberals, Mr. Speaker.

What we do is, for qualified people who have served their community for generations, we ask them to continue to serve. What do they do? They shout them down. They protest them. That is the legacy of the Liberals and the NDP. They do it every single day.

That is why they’re standing in the way of building a better, stronger Ontario. That is why they want carbon taxes, because it’s not about making people more prosperous. For them, it’s about making sure that the people of the province of Ontario rely only on government.

For us, we want to give people the tools to succeed each and every day. That means providing more money in their pockets, providing supports for families and building houses for them. While they get in the way, we’ll remove them as an obstacle, and we’ll move forward for the people of the province of Ontario.

They have members who bring around signs that say, “F the police.”

At their convention this weekend, when brought forward with policies that they didn’t necessarily agree with, they said, “We don’t have to care about anybody else. It’s just about us.” They brought policies to increase taxes, Mr. Speaker.

You have an option. You could tell your friends in Ottawa who hold the balance of power, don’t take your example. Do the right thing. Bring down a government that is costing the people of the province of Ontario billions of dollars, that puts our economy at risk, that harms us in terms of affordability, and that’s causing high interest rates. Will you do the right thing and tell them to bring them down so that we get a government that respects the people in Ottawa?

Interjections.

The planning process followed all of the rules established by this Legislature, as a matter of fact.

I know the member is upset. She’s upset because of the changes that we have made that have seen jobs come back to the province of Ontario, her region, because of the hard work of the Progressive Conservative members of the provincial Parliament. They’re seeing jobs and opportunity come back like never before. Because of the hard work of the Minister of Colleges and Universities, that sector is thriving there as well.

It’s an odd thing: When more people want to come to an area they want to have a place to live. Because of that, we are ensuring, by working with our municipal partners, that there will be places for people to live in Kitchener-Waterloo.

We’re going even further than that. We’re asking our partners across the province to join with us in building 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario—large communities, small communities. I’ve heard from small-town mayors in northern Ontario who have said, “Don’t count us out. We can build five, six, seven—we want to be a part of it.” And you know what? We’ll make sure that they’re a part of that, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I came to Queen’s Park this morning to find out that the NDP was hosting a press conference at 9 a.m. Why? To tell the public that government was contemplating building a parking lot facility because we are redeveloping Ontario Place to be a world-class tourist destination.

What do Wonderland, the zoo, Exhibition Place all have in common? Yes, they’re tourist destinations, but they also have parking spaces for the convenience of those that attend those wonderful locations.

Mr. Speaker, Ontario Place is not enjoyed by the public anymore. We will make sure that there will be lots of activities for families to enjoy all year round, 365 days a year.

My question is to the Premier. Last week, we learned that this government is under another criminal investigation by the RCMP and that the Auditor General’s office is investigating the Conservatives’ shady MZO process. The government’s pattern of fiscal and environmental irresponsibility is finally coming to light.

In Waterloo region the forced expansion of 2,200 acres of precious green space and farmland to development is cause for legitimate concern. This threatens the Waterloo moraine, the main source of drinking water supply, and once again disrespects First Nations who supported our responsible regional plan. No process, no consultation, no transparency, no due diligence with no plan to address the housing crisis: Who is driving these decisions? Because it certainly will be costly on all fronts.

At the same time as the RCMP criminal investigation on the greenbelt land scandal, an auditor is investigating the MZOs “R” Us model of land use planning. These forced boundary expansions are profoundly undemocratic and won’t address housing or affordability concerns.

Why is this Premier and this government so beholden to land speculators, so eager to bend to their wishes, that they’re willing to cast aside good governance and the duty to consult?

My question is for the Minister of Energy. Under the previous Liberal government, Ontario saw an exodus of more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs. But thanks to the leadership of the Premier and the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, our province is witnessing a revitalization and expansion in our manufacturing sector.

Our government has announced significant new investments being made here in Ontario, particularly in electric vehicle production and battery manufacturing. While all of these investments are great, they also mean an increased demand in our electricity network. That’s why it’s so vital that our government take action to meet the current and long-term electricity needs of residents and businesses.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to ensure that Ontario has sufficient energy capacity to meet our growing needs?

It’s encouraging for the people of Ontario and for businesses that are looking to invest here. Our province is well positioned to provide clean, affordable and reliable energy. As our province moves toward an electric future, with a strong electric-vehicle supply chain network, the need for reliable, low-cost and clean power has never been greater. That’s why our government must remain focused. Actions to ensure that our energy supply will continue to meet the needs of a growing population and industrial expansion are critical.

Can the minister please elaborate on what energy policies our government will advance to help build a stronger Ontario and strengthen our competitive advantage?

Thanks to the member from Peterborough for the tough but fair question this morning. He’s absolutely right when he says one thing: Under the previous Liberal government, supported every step of the way by the NDP, we saw hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs leaving our province. Since we brought in some economic stability to Ontario, under the leadership of our Premier and our Minister of Economic Development and everybody working so hard to remove red tape and make this a sought-after jurisdiction, we have multi-billion-dollar electric vehicle platforms that are coming back to Ontario, Mr. Speaker—EV battery manufacturing.

The folks from Dofasco are here with us today. They’re putting in electric arc furnaces at their facilities in Hamilton, just like they are at Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie.

For the first time since 2005, we’re seeing increased electricity demand in our province to make sure that we’re powering those businesses and those homes that we’re going to be building as well, Mr. Speaker. We know that millions of people are coming to Ontario because this is the place where they want to do business and, earlier this summer, I unleashed our plan to power Ontario’s growth and I’ll have more to say in the supplementary.

Under the plan we’re investing in 4,800 new megawatts at Bruce Power on the west coast of Ontario, taking that world-leading facility to an even bigger emissions-free generating facility for our province. We’re not just building one small modular reactor on the site at Darlington with OPG; we’ve announced under the Powering Ontario’s Growth plan that we’re going to be building four small modular reactors there. That’s enough clean power to power 1.2 million homes. We’re making the investments that we need in large-scale and small-scale nuclear reactors. We have the largest energy procurement in the country going with our battery-storage facilities located across Ontario, and we’ve invested $1 billion into energy-efficiency programs. We’re going to have the power that Ontario needs.

Back to the minister: There are too many irregularities with the Ontario Place procurement process that awarded the development rights to Therme. There was no fairness monitor appointed to verify fairness and integrity. There was no public information about what scoring criteria were used, if any, and the government can’t show the scorecards evaluating the bids.

There is no evidence that the government performed due diligence to confirm the source of Therme’s financing, and the entire process—more like lack of process—was overseen by a close friend of the Premier. We’ve seen this before. The government is already under criminal investigation by the RCMP for the greenbelt grab.

Will the Premier cancel the shady Therme deal?

Members will take their seats.

Minister of Infrastructure.

Minister of Infrastructure.

The next question.

The next question.