Since we came into office in 2018, we have been focused on building homes for people, and that has included, of course, rental housing. One of the things that we saw, which was the hallmark of the previous Liberal and NDP coalition in this province, was that rental housing starts literally collapsed across the province of Ontario. What we are seeing, of course, is that rental housing starts in the province of Ontario, under our government, are at a 30-year high, and the good news on that is that in the first half of 2023, that pace has increased by over 44%.

One of our biggest challenges in Toronto and across the province has been the supply of rental housing, and we are tackling that head-on. At the same time, we are making significant investments in the Landlord and Tenant Board to ensure that we can get through cases much more quickly, and I thank the Attorney General for that.

We have introduced a number of pieces of legislation to better protect tenants across the province of Ontario, but ultimately, we have to increase that supply so that there are more options for all Ontarians.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The residents of Scarborough–Guildwood and across Ontario are struggling, and under his government, rent has never been higher. The average new listing for rental apartments in Toronto is almost $4,000 a month, or 60% of the household income of my riding.

This government has had five years to address the housing crisis, but what do they have to show for it? One RCMP criminal investigation.

Does the minister think it is past time for his government to bring back rent control, or will they keep showing they don’t care for the renters of Ontario?

But he has only recently been appointed Minister of Housing; he has the opportunity to right his government’s wrongs. He has already backtracked on the previous minister’s decision to expand urban boundaries and develop farmland, and he’s already backtracked on developing the greenbelt, after it came out that his government gifted their developer friends $8.3 billion in prime real estate.

Now, through you, Mr. Speaker, I once again ask if the minister intends to backtrack again and restore universal rent control that his government got rid of in 2018.