I want to take this opportunity to talk about the incredible automotive investments that are coming into the province of Ontario. I had the opportunity last week to talk about the man with the yellow tie who is bringing hope to all of these places right across Ontario, from my area in Essex county all the way up to St. Thomas, all the way up to Oshawa—jobs being created by the multi-billion-dollar investments being brought to Ontario due to the incredible policies put forward by this government and the leadership of our Premier.

When I say billions, I’m not talking about $4 billion or $5 billion; I’m talking about $27 billion to date. And that’s just the primary investments. Everybody knows that when the automotive industry gets geared up, there are suppliers, secondary suppliers, tertiary suppliers, and then suppliers to the suppliers. It is an incredible supply chain, and here in the province of Ontario we are the locus and the centre and the nuclei of a burgeoning electric vehicle industry that is going to move us into the economy of the future.

I want to once again take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade for the fantastic investments being made in the province of Ontario. Thank you.

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. Many of those jobs were in the manufacturing sector. Small businesses were also negatively impacted and endured hardships. The previous Liberal government could have helped northern, Indigenous and remote communities, but sadly they chose to ignore them, calling them a “no man’s land.”

Unlike other parts of the province, the north faces unique barriers to starting and growing businesses. Speaker, what is the government doing to support small business and economic development projects across northern Ontario?

Speaker, I’m asking the minister to please explain how our government is supporting and expanding opportunities for economic prosperity in northern communities.