My question is for the Minister of Energy.

Ontarians need access to affordable electricity. They never want to return to the days of out-of-control costs like they experienced under the previous Liberal government. Never again should the people of Ontario have to choose between eating and heating because of high electricity costs. People want our energy grid to be efficient, effective, clean and reliable. At the same time, they also want to know that our government is ensuring that their energy bills remain affordable.

Can the minister explain what actions our government is taking to ensure that Ontarians continue to have access to electricity that is affordable, reliable and emissions-free?

The refurbishments described by the minister in his response are a massive undertaking. By completing these ahead of schedule and, yes, on budget, our government is demonstrating our commitment to building energy infrastructure projects for the future.

That’s why it’s so disappointing to see the opposition, once again, saying no, and once again, opposing Ontario’s nuclear industry. The people of Ontario deserve far better from their elected representatives who, unfortunately, are more interested in playing politics instead of finding solutions for our energy system.

Can the minister share his views on what impact the NDP’s and Liberals’ opposition to our vital nuclear sector will mean to hard-working families, individuals and the skilled workforce who rely on this source of power?

Interjection.

My question is to the Premier.

The Ford government recently announced its intention to seek judicial review of the federal Impact Assessment Act in light of a recent opinion by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Interjections.

Will the Attorney General stop wasting public money re-litigating a Supreme Court opinion that would deliver more transparency for Ontarians?

I’d like to thank the member from Ontario’s clean energy capital, Durham region, for the question this morning.

Mr. Speaker, Ontario’s electricity grid is one of the cleanest in the entire world, at over 90% clean. How we accomplish that is largely because of the nuclear fleet that we have in Ontario, providing anywhere from 50% to 60% of our electricity every day in a clean, emissions-free, reliable and affordable way. It employs 76,000 people across Canada, almost all of them here in Ontario. And it’s those same people, those skilled trades, those nuclear operators, who are doing incredible work.

I was with my good friend from Huron–Bruce, the Minister of Agriculture, a couple of weeks ago at Bruce Power, where they brought back unit 6, one of the nuclear refurbishment projects, on time and on budget.

Our government is standing firmly with those skilled tradespeople in support of our energy sector, which is world-class.

It is sad, actually, that the opposition is not working with us. They’re working against us, and they’re saying no to clean, reliable and affordable electricity in our province. They’re saying no to new, good-paying jobs across our province. They’re saying no to the economic growth that we’re experiencing largely because we have a world-class nuclear fleet.

Perhaps most disappointing, though, is those same members from the NDP and the opposition are saying no to the skilled tradespeople, those boilermakers, those electricians, and those nuclear engineers who are working so hard every day to power our province to ensure that we are an economic powerhouse here in Ontario, one that has created 700,000 jobs—not lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs, when we had an NDP-Liberal coalition in this province.

The Ontario PC Party and this government are going to stand up every day for those power workers across Ontario.

The supplementary question.

The Minister of Energy.

Interjection.

Interjections.

Start the clock.

Member for Parkdale–High Park.

My question is to the Premier.

Earlier this year, Scotiabank put out a report calling for a massive expansion of non-market housing to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income families who can’t afford what the private sector is willing to build. Scotiabank said the existing stock of social housing needs to be at least doubled. The NDP just released a non-market housing strategy whose goal is to do exactly that. But two days ago, the Minister of Housing said that investing in non-market housing was “out of the playbook of Communist Russia.”

Is the minister really so opposed to public investments and non-market housing that Scotiabank is too communist for him?

What hope do low- and moderate-income families have when this government is so ideologically opposed to public investment in housing?

Supplementary question. The member for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas.

The next question.

The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Government House Leader.

My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Farmers, food processors and the agri-food industry provide high-quality food products for Ontario families and for our growing export market. Measures outlined in our Grow Ontario Strategy are innovative, and we are seeing positive results. Because of investments made by our government, we are witnessing an increase in more homegrown food, greater manufacturing opportunities, and improved technology for our farmers.

Unfortunately, our farmers are facing additional pressures and challenges that are making it more difficult for them to deliver a food supply chain that is safe, strong and stable.

Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Ontario’s agricultural industries to overcome barriers to their productivity?

From the minister’s response, it’s clear that the carbon tax is placing a heavy burden on farmers and food producers. Ultimately, the carbon tax will negatively impact the people of Ontario. Individuals and families are already feeling the pressure of high food costs and are struggling to make ends meet. The people of Ontario are looking to our government for solutions that will reduce environmental impacts while also supporting Ontario’s food processors and producers. That’s why our government must act with urgency to address these serious matters.

Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to ensure that Ontario’s agri-food sector remains stable and sustainable?

Actually, the Supreme Court confirmed that the legislation brought forward by the Trudeau Liberal government was, in fact, beyond its jurisdiction to do so. The Attorney General, of course, is using that ruling to allow us to move forward on projects like the 413, like Ontario Place. We’ve made no secret of the fact that we have wanted to move on important public infrastructure across the province of Ontario, and we’re going to continue to do that.

We’ve reflected, of course, on the Supreme Court’s decision and are encouraged by that decision. We have always argued, as have other provinces, that the federal government had gone well beyond its jurisdiction. The Supreme Court validated that, and we are taking the next steps to ensure that we can move on with these very, very important public infrastructure programs.

But I can confirm for the member that we will not be supporting this motion today. We will continue to double down on our efforts to improve health care for all Ontarians, including Indigenous partners.

We are also continuing our efforts with the federal government to address some of the very important issues that we’re seeing on reserves, and we will continue that work.

Further evidence on this government’s assault on the environment: The government has tabled four proposals to further weaken environmental oversight in the permit system for water-taking, waste management and stormwater management. These changes mean the public would lose the right to participate in decisions affecting their health and safety. Worse, public oversight would be off-loaded to the very same private companies seeking the permit.

Just like with the gutting of conservation authorities and the weakening of wetland protections, this government is once again enriching special interests, while putting soil and water at risk.

Will this government ever—ever—listen to the public instead of lobbyists and show that by cancelling these proposals?

Good morning, Speaker. Remarks in Anishininiimowin.

We have lots of people in Kiiwetinoong who are on dialysis. To get treated, they have to travel to Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, Dryden or Kenora. They have to leave their homes. They have to leave their families. And when they go home, it isn’t because they’re getting better; they go home because they have to go to their own funeral.

When is this government going to ensure that there is dialysis care close to home for the people of Kiiwetinoong?

Interjections.

I’ll say this much: The health care system does not work for Indigenous people. I’ll also say that the system is not broken; it is working exactly the way it’s designed to, which is to take away the rights of the people to the lands and the resources. It’s designed to harm Indigenous people. If you say or do nothing to improve that, you are part of the problem.

Speaker, I ask this government, will this government support my motion today to recognize colonialism and being Indigenous as a determinant of health? Yes or no?

Interjections.

Thank you for the question—already on it. Our government is working with Indigenous partners, such as the ministry’s investment in 21 Indigenous primary health care organizations across Ontario, with sites both on- and off-reservation and delivering a wide range of services. We’ve invested $10.31 million in 2021-22 from the Ministry of Health to expand culturally safe and Indigenous-led mental health and addictions services for Indigenous people living on- and off-reserve.

In 2021, our government announced $1.5 million in annual funding to expand access to specialized mental health and addictions services in northwestern Ontario.

We’re getting it done.

I’m pleased to share with the member opposite, who’s a huge champion for our agri-food industry, that we are listening to stakeholders, we’re listening to farmers, and we’re bringing forward thoughtful policies that truly are making a difference.

For instance, I was so very proud to continue to support the Minister of Red Tape Reduction and his most recent piece of legislation he tabled that could translate into potential savings of $4 million for agriculture and horticultural societies—and we’re continuing to reduce burden.

But we need to be perfectly clear in this House: The biggest burden on Ontario farmers today is the carbon tax. I think every single MPP in this House should be standing up and doing the right thing for Ontario farmers and saying no to the carbon tax. I am totally disgusted with the events this past week, whereby C-234 has been completely gutted, especially during our harvest. I’m sure the agriculture minister—“minister”; I just promoted you—the agriculture critic for the NDP—

But it’s our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, that’s listening. And because of that, we’re introducing $8 million worth of programs to support the mental health of farmers in Ontario. We’re introducing, next week, $16.5 million in our Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative. We’re moving forward and trying to introduce and incent food and beverage manufacturers to save on energy and bring through innovations, and that program alone is a $10-million investment. Ladies and gentlemen, we are also investing $10 million in improving meat-processing capacity in this province. We’re listening. We’re bringing forward programs that are going to help—

When asked about the approval process for Charles McVety’s private college in 2020, the former Minister of Colleges and Universities stood in this House—and I read from Hansard: “There is no other process that exists that is more fair and accountable than the process we are following,” and that there was “no ministerial involvement whatsoever.”

Now we learn that, on the phone, he was actually attempting to rig the process, giving advice on submissions and promising McVety that he would get them where they needed to go, even if the independent board did not approve the request. Once again, it’s only after this government has been caught that they reverse course.

Question to the Premier: Yes or no? Has this government been entirely truthful about this process?

My question is for the Solicitor General.

All Ontarians deserve to feel safe in their communities. That’s why it’s concerning to hear from individuals and families in my riding that they’re worried about reports of increasing crime and violence throughout Ontario. The public safety of all Ontarians must be our government’s highest priority. The people in my community and all Ontarians are counting on our government for support and solutions. While there has been progress in taking down gangs and cracking down on firearms, our government must do more to prevent and reduce criminal activity.

Can the Solicitor General please explain what actions our government is taking to increase safety in communities across Ontario?

Since 2018, under the leadership of our Premier, our government has made it clear that gun and gang violence will not be allowed to thrive in Ontario. Our province continues to see positive results from investments made by our government that support our front-line police and the justice sector. However, we must continue to provide more resources that will help dismantle criminal activity.

Speaker, can the Solicitor General please explain how our government is supporting our front-line police officers in responding to and preventing crime and violence in Ontario?

I always look forward to an opportunity to speak about how we’re actually saving the science centre. The science centre, although a safe facility that continues to operate, is an old facility. What we’re trying to achieve here is build a new facility with more exhibition space that will be around for young people and Ontarians for the next 50 years. We’re very pleased that we’re bringing the science centre to Ontario Place, keeping it alive, and bringing Ontario Place alive as well.

Again, Speaker, that’s an odd question coming from a member who was running for the leadership of the Liberal Party but dropped out of the race so that he could support a candidate who was raising principally all of her money from developers, the same people that he was just criticizing—the same candidate who is the only candidate who actually wants to still build on the greenbelt. It is a very odd question coming from that particular gentleman. He had other people he could have supported in the Liberal leadership, but he chose to support the one person who is doing everything that he is critical of right here in the House—the pot calling the kettle black. Boy, I get it as it is over there.

Mr. Speaker, for the Premier: Just two months after the release of the Auditor General’s and the Integrity Commissioner’s damning greenbelt reports, the government is acting like all is forgiven. Well, the people of Ontario don’t see it that way, and neither does the RCMP.

Our province was taken on a wild roller coaster ride while a handful of developers hit an $8.3-billion jackpot. This isn’t a casino in Las Vegas; this is the people’s House. And as the government members are learning, the number one rule in gambling is that the House always wins.

Between the greenbelt debacle, the RCMP criminal investigation, the appointment of a special prosecutor, the urban boundary flip-flop and three ministers resigning, I’ve never seen a government try so hard to make their losses look like wins.

With so much money and time wasted, so much to undo and cover up, why should the people of Ontario believe this government can fix health care, housing and affordability?

My constituents in Don Valley East know they aren’t getting the full story on the destruction of the science centre. Where is that business case the Minister of Infrastructure promised us?

Amidst the greenbelt scandal and the urban boundary flip-flop, it’s clear this government is using wedge politics to distract from the RCMP criminal investigation to divide and misdirect us.

Speaking of misdirection, yesterday the government tried to put forward a motion begging the federal government to help them clean up their own affordability mess. The Premier could focus on things like rent control, the Ontario child tax benefit or boosting social assistance instead.

Mr. Speaker, when will the Premier tell his government to start doing and stop distracting?

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

I appreciate the question from my colleague. She’s right: Public safety matters to everyone in Ontario and our government takes it very seriously. We’re taking action to protect the people of Ontario, and that’s why the government created the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy. We’re reducing illegal gun and gang violence by providing the resources to local police, prosecutors and community partners across the province, and I’m really proud of this. The strategy funds several initiatives that deliver strong enforcement and prosecution, proactive gang disruption and tailored youth and adult violence prevention. The amount that we have supported in this fund together with our federal partners is over $256 million.

And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, we are a government that has the backs of everyone that keeps Ontario safe.

At the end of the day, we have a right to live safely in our own homes and communities. That’s why our government will always have the backs of everyone that keeps Ontario safe.