They’re on their way up, but I do want to welcome Keith Fleming, Saroj Gandhi and Kam Sandhu, my constituency staff. I just wanted to say—on behalf of all members of this House, I’d like to thank all of our constituency staff who serve our constituents with kindness, compassion and very often having to deal with very difficult situations. Thank you to all of our staff for everything you do to support MPPs. Thank you.

Thank you to the great member from Thornhill for the great work and advocacy she does for Ontario’s constituents and job creators.

Speaker, small businesses are the heart of our province, sending vital goods and performing essential services throughout all of our neighbourhoods. That’s why our government is steadfastly opposed to the federal carbon tax, a policy that disproportionately hurts small businesses and the families that they feed and support. Whether it’s a mom-and-pop shop struggling with higher fuel delivery costs or a manufacturer seeing production expenses rise, this carbon tax amounts to an unfair penalty on Ontario’s job creators.

The NDP and Liberals talk about affordability, but time and time again, they side with a carbon tax proven to damage our economy, eliminate jobs and weaken communities right across Ontario. If they truly stood with entrepreneurs, they would join us in calling on the Prime Minister to remove this job-killing tax.

Thank you again to the member for the question. I know first-hand the sacrifices entrepreneurs make and the challenges that they face each and every day. That is why I was proud to see the Premier and the Minister of Finance stand up for both businesses and consumers by extending the gas tax cut until June 2024.

For small businesses and families, every dollar counts. By keeping an extra $260 in people’s pockets, this tax cut will allow residents greater ability to support local small businesses, whether buying goods or supporting a local restaurant. For businesses themselves, cheaper fuel means lower transportation expenses, allowing them to save elsewhere, whether it’s delivering products to stores and customers, commuting employees or other necessities.

Speaker, small businesses, including businesses in all of their ridings, shouldn’t be paying Ottawa more just to get less. We call on the NDP and Liberals to join us and tell their federal counterparts that hard-working Ontarians desperately need more money now in their pockets. Axe the tax now.