I would like to introduce today’s page captain, Caesar Beesley, and his family, Angela and Christopher, from my riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park to the Ontario Legislature. Welcome.

Meegwetch, Speaker. Remarks in Anishininiimowin. Good morning.

I’d like to welcome some guests from the riding of Kiiwetinoong: from Kasabonika Lake First Nation, Dorothy Anderson and Karen Anderson; from Kingfisher Lake, Anita Mekanak; from Muskrat Dam, Deputy Chief Vietta Morris, but also my sister-in-law; and then Eugene Tait, council member for Sachigo Lake First Nation. It’s good to see you here.

And also Esther Sakakeep: She’s a councillor from Kingfisher Lake First Nation, my own First Nation, but also my sister.

I’d like to introduce two friends who are visiting us this morning here: Henry Wall, CAO of the Kenora DSB, and His Worship Fred Mota, mayor of Red Lake. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I look forward to meeting with you both.

In the gallery behind me, members of TVO and the Canadian Media Guild are here. I’d like to welcome John Michael McGrath, Meredith Martin and Julie-Anne Von Drejs to the chamber.

I would be careful if I were the NDP talking about hiding people, Mr. Speaker. I really, really would.

Look, earlier today, the Minister of Finance announced the date of the next fall economic statement for the province of Ontario. As the Premier has said, he’s not going to stop working on behalf of his constituents—Mrs. Jones who might need a doctor or a pothole filled in front of her home. He’s not going to stop doing that because the Leader of the Opposition is demanding that he stop doing that. That is at the core of everything that this Premier and Ford Nation have been all about. It’s the same type of talk that we heard before when his brother became the mayor, right? It never could happen.

But do you know why Ford Nation became so important to the people of the province of Ontario? Because they actually pick up the phone, because they make the tele-phone calls, because they’re accessible. That is why this caucus has grown, and that is why that caucus has continued to shrink, election after election after election.

Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? The Leader of the Opposition is doing everything in her power to distract from the fact that she has a full-blown caucus revolt on her hands. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because she has failed on her first true test of leadership. When she had the opportunity to stand up to the anti-Semitic hard left of her party, she refused to do anything about it. They looked at her and said, “We will not listen to you,” despite the fact that she said, “Take something down. Apologize.” When they said no, she cowered. She failed the first true test, and it is why she will never be the Premier of this province.

But we’re talking about the things that matter to the people of the province of Ontario. We have a fall economic statement that will set the agenda for the budget, in next year’s budget. We’re opening pre-budget consultations, because we want to continue to focus on the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario. We want to continue to grow the economy. Even more than the 700,000 who already have the dignity of a job, we want to grow that number.

We would like the opposition to help us, participate, give us ideas. I doubt they will—

I have a request on my desk from SickKids hospital, from the mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, to use an MZO to ensure that the Ornge helicopter space is preserved and protected. It is my intention to do just that.

I will let them explain why they are against using MZOs to further the priorities of the people of the province of Ontario, to protect the people of the province of Ontario. We will continue to do it when it is in the best interest of the people of the province of Ontario. That is why we are building a bigger, better, safer Ontario. They are against that every step of the way.

Good morning, Speaker. Government members have applauded the Premier’s frequent use of his personal phone to conduct government business, a flagrant disregard for the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s recommendation that government members and political staff only use government devices and platforms. This government should know the rules. In fact, that guidance came after the Premier’s own staff were caught using personal email accounts to arrange for his souped-up van.

My question is to the Premier. Did the Premier intentionally use his personal phone to communicate in secret with people who have business before the government?

But the Premier has been singularly focused on hiding records of these phone calls and text messages. He is even appealing freedom-of-information requests to avoid sharing those records. Will the Premier withdraw his appeals of these FOI requests?

What we do know is that a Global News investigation found that the Premier didn’t use his government phone once during a whole one-week period in November, the exact period when the government decided to carve up the greenbelt.

To the Premier: Did he use a personal device instead of an official government device to avoid access-to-freedom-information laws?

This government is under criminal investigation by the RCMP for trying to enrich their friends and donors to the tune of more than $8 billion in the greenbelt grab. One of the most important questions that requires further investigation: What did the Premier know? When did he know it?

My question to the Premier is, what is he hiding on his personal phone about the greenbelt grab?

I’m going to ask again of the Premier, what is he hiding on his personal phone about these suspicious land deals?

Interjections.

And Speaker, I submitted a new Integrity Commissioner complaint yesterday about what appears to be an inappropriate relationship between a former government minister and a land speculator.

But it begs the question: Is this the standard operating procedure for this government? Did the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville just get caught?

Mr. Speaker, the public deserves to know: What would we find on the Premier’s personal phone about this government’s secret backroom deals?

I’d like to let the House know that today is the national day of Nigeria. They will have a session at 12 noon in rooms 230 and 228. Thank you.

My apologies for rising a second time, but I did not know—and now do—that my sister-in-law, Meredith Martin, is in the gallery. So I want to preserve family—

Thank you for the question. Mr. Speaker, you can see where the NDP’s priorities are—worrying about helping little Ms. Jones on a pothole or helping someone find a doctor or so on and so forth.

I’ll tell you what our priorities are. Our priorities are making sure we cut taxes for people, reducing gas by 10.7 cents, getting rid of the licence plate sticker, cutting tolls on the 412 and the 418, building hospitals in every region of this province, building the 413 and making sure that we’re building the subway system. We’re doubling the size of the transit system right here in Toronto and the GTA.

Mr. Speaker, that’s our priorities—not worrying about little Ms. Jones calling me about a pothole, that’s for sure.

My question is for the Minister of Finance. Across the world, economic challenges continue to grow, and we know that Ontario is not isolated from this geopolitical uncertainty. We recently heard the great news during public accounts that our government received a sixth straight clean audit from the Auditor General. This is a refreshing change from the fiscal mismanagement of the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP. Unfortunately, Speaker, many families and individuals in my riding and across our province are feeling the economic pressures that have been caused by ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and increased interest rates. The people of our province are looking to our government for leadership during these times of uncertainty.

Speaker, can the minister please address this House on how our government is providing much-needed fiscal leadership for the people of Ontario?

The minister spoke about the fact that Ontario is not exempt from factors that are contributing to global economic uncertainty. That is why our government must show leadership and demonstrate a strong economic vision and plan that will help families and individuals during this unpredictable financial period.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is continuing to work on behalf of Ontarians during these challenging economic times?

I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that in the many years I’ve been privileged to serve as a parliamentarian, this is the saddest spectacle of any Leader of the Opposition that I have ever seen. We are faced with some very important issues across not only Ontario, but across the world right now. Later on today, we will be voting on a motion in support for the people of Israel against a terrorist attack. The opposition have literally said nothing on this. Hours and hours of debate, they have sat on their hands.

The Leader of the Opposition had her first true test of leadership and has failed so miserably. She’s doing anything to distract—she’s talking about 411 records on somebody’s phone as opposed to focusing on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario. She’s trying to do anything to distract from the full-on revolt that she has in her party.

We will continue to focus on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario. Later today, she will have an opportunity to vote with us. I hope that she does.

Speaker, earlier this week, the government shut down our motion to cancel the really sketchy Ontario Place deal. You’ll remember this deal will see more than $600 million of hard-earned public funds subsidize the private profits of an Austrian spa developer for 95 years. You’ll remember that the people of this province do not support this deal.

The deal makes no sense. What could possibly justify this unprecedented giveaway of prime waterfront property and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to Therme? Maybe we should ask Carmine Nigro, chair of Ontario Place and a close personal friend of the Premier.

My question to the Premier is, what would we find on his personal phone about the Ontario Place deal?

The appointment of people whose only qualification seems to be a big enough donation to the Conservative Party calls into question the competence and integrity of vital services like the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Human Rights Tribunal. The people of Ontario want to know, and so do I: How many of these unqualified appointees would we find on the Premier’s personal phone logs?

To reply for the government, the Minister of Infrastructure.

The Minister of Northern Development and the Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

The member opposite is speaking to, yes, a property in a prime location, absolutely; a property that had to be closed in 2017 because of severe flooding that even impacted Budweiser Stage operations. The site is in complete disrepair. It is constantly flooding, which is why we are doing the site servicing work; it’s under way. That is exactly why we will repair the shoreline to make sure we protect the island for years and years so that people can enjoy it in the future.

To the Leader of the Opposition: Two different procurements with two different governments with different criteria—proponent is the same. Therme will be at Ontario Place and will offer water park play for families 365 days of the year.

Thank you to the hard-working member from Brantford–Brant for that question. As highlighted by the recent Ontario Economic Accounts, the numbers of our province’s economy remain resilient.

As we’ve said before, Ontario faces potential economic uncertainty ahead. That’s why, Mr. Speaker, as we continue to build more homes, more hospitals, more schools and more transit, investing in better services and keeping costs down for the people of Ontario, we are doing so in a prudent and responsible way.

And I am pleased to inform the House that we will be releasing our government’s fall economic statement just a few weeks from now on November 2, Mr. Speaker.

This government will continue to make targeted investments to support families, to support workers, and to support businesses today while laying a strong fiscal foundation for future generations.

As we have seen over the last year and the last few months, Mr. Speaker, Ontario’s population continues to grow—almost 500,000 people last year; over 15.6 million people, who call Ontario home. That’s why we are building Ontario.

That’s why we’re building in Durham, for Bowmanville, four more transit stations in transit-oriented com-munities. That’s why, up in Sault Ste. Marie at the Algoma Steel plant, they’re going to be building and completing a clean steel manufacturing operation due to open in November 2024. And that’s why, in the west Niagara region, we are building a new hospital that they’ve been asking for, for almost three decades. We are committed to supporting the people of Ontario, and we will build Ontario together.

Meegwetch, Speaker. A question to the Premier: Things are different in northern Ontario. Things are different in Kiiwetinoong. Things are different on-reserve. But since I’ve been here, since I’ve become a member, I’ve talked about many issues that need to be improved on-reserve: housing, fire safety, education, mental health and clean drinking water. It is systemic racism to do nothing and let these conditions get worse.

Will this government acknowledge that they have a responsibility to improve these conditions in First Nations?

Interjections.

First and foremost, I want to welcome the members from the isolated communities here today that I’ve had an opportunity to live in, especially Kasabonika, one of my favourite communities.

Mr. Speaker, we see these as opportunities. We acknowledge that there remain some challenges around things like legacy infrastructure for isolated communities. But when it gets right down to it, we have an extraordinary opportunity to work with those communities to open up corridors for electricity, road access, and to improve the health, economic and social conditions of those communities. Increasingly, leadership from those communities are coming to us to have those conversations and develop real opportunities and create real opportunities through my ministries and other ministries in this government to change the fortunes and the road map to prosperity, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to continue that con-versation with that member and the leadership across northern Ontario.

Speaker, it’s not prosperity when you have young girls dying by suicide, when you have young boys dying by suicide. That’s not prosperity. But 31 chiefs in the Sioux Lookout area, as part of the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, have declared a public and social emergency because of the disproportionate mental health and addiction issues in the north. The cost of doing nothing, because Ontario uses jurisdiction as an excuse, costs lives and health every day—every day, Speaker.

Will this government acknowledge that colonialism is a determinant of health for First Nations people?

I thank the member opposite for the opportunity to answer this question. We know that there are gaps in care, and they’re wider in Indigenous communities. Since 2019, we’ve invested over $40 million annually in Indigenous care organizations through the Roadmap to Wellness. We’ve strengthened partnerships with community-based organizations doing incredible work: $4.2 million to open 37 treatment beds in Sioux Lookout; $3.8 million to St. Joseph’s health care and Dilico Anishinabek Family Care; 34 new treatment and medical-withdrawal-management beds; $1.7 million to expand beds for KCA youth camps, youth mental wellness service programs; $13.5 million across government with 30 projects aimed at stopping the cycle of intergenerational trauma; two new and expanded treatment and healing centres in northern Ontario through Roadmap to Wellness.

Mr. Speaker, we know we need to do better in Indigenous communities, and we’re working in partnership to build culturally appropriate mental health and addiction supports and services for all the people of Ontario, including Indigenous—