It’s my honour to welcome the Economic Developers Council of Ontario. I encourage all members to attend their reception in the dining room this evening, from 4:45 until 7.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It’s my great pleasure to welcome friends from the Unite Here workers’ union: Guled Warsame, Alejandra Muro, and Derrick Ahn, who are all here visiting Queen’s Park today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

To respond, the government House leader.

I appreciate the question.

As the Leader of the Opposition highlighted, this is something that was in the public accounts of the province. It is not a secret or something that was hidden—just the opposite.

At the same time, we are continuing to focus on those things that matter to the people of the province of Ontario; that is creating jobs, building more homes. We are seeing really extraordinary results across the province of Ontario. Some 700,000 people have the dignity of a job who didn’t have that when we came to office. We’re going to continue on that path of building more jobs and a bigger, better, stronger province of Ontario for the people of the province.

At the same time, we’re going to continue to do what is important, focusing on creating jobs in the province of Ontario, building a strong economy, and really doubling down on ensuring that we can build more homes across Ontario.

I’m very glad to see today that the mayor of St. Thomas is here. That is a mayor who has undertaken extraordinary work to remove obstacles so that we could bring a massive amount of jobs to his community, so that we could build homes, economic growth. That is the type of leadership that we need across the province of Ontario from our municipal partners. I’m really happy that His Worship is here. We will continue to work with Mayor Preston so that can ensure that not only St. Thomas but all parts of Ontario can experience the exact same growth that they’re going to have in St. Thomas. Thousands of jobs, economic growth—it’s good for the people of the province of Ontario.

Well, I’ll tell the Leader of the Opposition where the money is going. Since we’ve been in office, we’ve registered over 63,000 nurses. Last year was a record—over 15,000 nurses, and there are 30,000 in the hopper. But they voted against that legislation. They voted against building a new medical university up in Peel.

As a matter of fact, our backlog of surgeries has dropped by 25,000 patients—but they vote against that as well. They vote against building 50 new or additions to hospitals across the province, to a tune of $50 billion. They voted against that as well. They don’t believe in fixing the health care system. What they believe in is the status quo. Under the previous two governments, the Liberals and propped up by the NDP—not spending. As a matter of fact, they fired nurses when they were working together.

We’re hiring thousands and thousands of nurses. That’s what we’re doing with the health care dollars.

Interjections.

It gives me great pleasure this morning to introduce, in the gallery, Judy Hanson from Bowmanville, in my riding of Durham. She is a champion and advocate for adults with autism, and she is the representative today of Autism Home Base.

Welcome to the House.

It is my great honour to welcome the remarkable Dragon Boat Team Canada. This summer, they achieved victory in an international race in Pattaya, Thailand. After question period, a photo op with some of the team’s exceptional athletes will take place at the grand staircase. Members are welcome to join.

It’s Ontario Pork’s lobby day, and there are a few of the directors in the members’ gallery. I’d like, on their behalf, to invite you to their lunch in 228 and 230 this afternoon.

Thank you to the member for that question.

The opposition can ask questions until they’re blue in the face, but my answer is still the same. We are reviewing the panel’s recommendations, and we will look forward to working with this sector and to develop a plan that works for the long-term sustainability and success for Ontario’s colleges and universities. But I want to remind everyone that the NDPs, under the Liberal government, let tuition skyrocket in this province. But now that our government is taking a practical approach, putting students first and taking the time to review the recommendations, they don’t want to be a part of our solution.

Like always, they will oppose the measures that we take to support students. They’ll vote against the solutions that we bring forward and focus on playing politics. We are here to support students and to ensure financial sustainability of the post-secondary institutions for years to come.

Institutions need to take leadership and review their operations from top to bottom. From governance practices, program offerings, day-to-day operations and everything between, colleges and universities across this province need to become the best possible version of themselves. This is not a change that will happen overnight but it is one that is necessary so that students, families and taxpayers can have confidence that every dollar being spent is allocated appropriately and with complete transparency.

My question is to the Premier.

The crisis in our post-secondary system provides yet another example of a public service that is crumbling under this government’s erratic and irresponsible fiscal approach. Last week’s blue-ribbon panel found that Ontario’s funding for post-secondary education is just half that of the rest of Canada. Eight Ontario universities have run deficits for two years in a row.

Speaker, what is the Premier’s plan to address the fragile and financially unsustainable situation of Ontario’s colleges and universities?

Will the Premier commit today to ensuring that colleges and universities in Ontario will get the increased funding that they, and more importantly, students need to keep the sector afloat?

Interjections.

You know something, Mr. Speaker? You talk to anyone who’s waiting a year or two years for hip replacement, a knee replacement or cataracts—they did 14,000 cataract surgeries, taking the burden off hospitals, and guess what? It was all paid by the OHIP card, not by their credit card.

We’re continuing building on 19 common ailments, resulting in 530,000 assessments fewer every single year, taking the burden off the family docs, taking the burden off people going in and waiting in a doctor’s office for over an hour to get an appointment. Now they can go to the local pharmacy—making sure they have convenient care closer to home. That’s what we’re doing with the health care system.

And what are we doing for the people of Ontario? We’re putting more money into people’s pockets. Under their reign, there were 300,000 jobs lost in this province. There are over 700,000 more people taking home a paycheque, being able to pay rent or pay a mortgage. We got rid of the tolls on the 412 and the 418. We eliminated that sticker tax. We reduced the gas tax by 10 cents a litre. But guess what? They voted against every single item that we did.

Interjections.

Interjections.

Speaker, I’ll help the Premier. Do you know where the money is going? It’s going directly out of the public coffers and into their friends’ private pockets. That’s where it’s going.

This is a government that continues to spend more for less. New data shows that the private surgical clinics this government was so keen on expanding are charging OHIP 138% more for the same surgery. It’s also making wait times longer, all while public operating rooms sit with the lights off.

Back to the Premier: When will this government admit that their private, for-profit surgery scheme is increasing the cost to taxpayers and worsening wait times?

Public operating rooms sitting empty, emergency rooms closing, affordable housing wait-lists decades-long, more people with full-time jobs going to food banks than ever before—all while this government has been so preoccupied with their shady, backroom deals, spending more for less in health care, $650 million on a private luxury spa, hoarding billions in their rainy day fund; all while Ontarians are struggling.

Back to the Premier: Five years in, people are worse off now than before. The rainy day is here. When will this government finally invest to make life easier for Ontarians?

Interjections.

While the Liberal government has been busy raising taxes and raising the burden on businesses, we’ve been busy—Premier Ford’s government—cutting red tape. In fact, we’ve cut over 500 pieces of red tape that save over $900 million of burden on businesses each and every year. We have lowered the workers’ compensation by 50% without touching the workers’ benefits. This is a savings of $2.5 billion each and every year. We allow companies now to write off their new equipment in year. It saves them $1 billion a year. This has all put a package together of saving $8 billion a year—put 700,000 people to work. While they’re busy with the carbon tax that penalizes business, we are continuing to lower costs and putting people to work.

The member for Waterloo will come to order. The member for Brantford–Brant will come to order.

Supplementary question?

The Premier can respond.

The next question.

And to reply, the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Just last week, a Liberal member in this House said that the federal carbon tax was making life better for the people of Ontario. That could not be further from the truth. I want to encourage that member to stop parroting talking points from the Prime Minister’s office and Ontario Liberal leadership candidates and start talking to her constituents and businesses who are struggling because of this terrible tax.

Our government understands that businesses have had a lot to deal with over the last few years, which is why we have been so steadfast in our commitment to lowering cost, and persistent in our opposition to the federal government’s carbon tax.

Can the minister please highlight what our government has done to lower costs for businesses across the province of Ontario?

Our government understands the challenges that businesses are facing with high inflation and high interest rates. That’s why we have taken concrete actions to lower costs, as the minister outlined.

At the same time, we recognize the importance of tackling climate change, but you don’t address climate change by penalizing businesses and the hard-working people of this province with a carbon tax.

Can the minister please outline how, unlike the federal government, we have been able to lower costs for our businesses while treating climate change seriously?

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Just last week, the Liberal member for Kanata–Carleton said that the vast majority of Ontario households are better off with a carbon price. However, a report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, provides further evidence that calls her statements into question. The PBO concludes that most households will experience a net loss of income from the disastrous federal carbon tax when accounting for both direct and indirect costs. Specifically, the PBO report finds that 60% of households in Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will pay more in carbon taxes than they receive in rebates.

Speaker, through you: Can the Minister of Finance please provide his views regarding the impact of the disastrous carbon tax on Ontario families?

It’s concerning that while you were answering your question, I was hearing the Liberal members in the back corner disagreeing with you and saying that people are still going to be better off with the carbon tax.

Overall, on average, Ontarians will pay $478 more per household because of the federal carbon tax, and in the year 2030, the average financial loss for Ontarians will be close to $2,000 per household. Increasing the carbon tax will only negatively impact Ontario families and our economy, not improve it, despite what the Liberals might think.

The carbon tax adversely affects our businesses and negatively impacts our economy and Ontario workers.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please set the record straight about how the carbon tax hurts all sectors of Ontario’s economy?

In September, the Premier claimed that teachers and school boards were indoctrinating children about gender identity. Words matter, especially those spoken by the Premier.

Today is the Trans Day of Remembrance, and this House held a moment of silence to remember those who died or were killed because of transphobic hatred and violence.

Since the Premier made that damaging claim, incidents of hate directed at trans and queer people, and especially students, have been rising dramatically.

My question is, does the Premier regret his claim, when he knows that the only curriculum being taught in Ontario is the one posted on the Ministry of Education’s own website?

To answer the opposition’s question, she said, “We need to hear from the public.” Do you know why you aren’t hearing from the public? They don’t give two hoots about that.

I’ll tell you what they care about. They care about their interest rates going up. They care about affordable homes—that they block every single vote we have that makes things easier—and more affordable homes. They worry about the next year or two when their interest rates get jacked up, and all of a sudden, they’re paying $3,000, $4,000 or $5,000 more a month. That’s what they care about. The number one issue on every poll—independent, other polls—is number one, bar none, is making sure their gas is affordable, hoping that the federal government will take the 14 cents of the carbon tax off a litre of gas. They care about having affordable groceries. They care about having affordable homes.

Second, in any poll, it’s the economy, making sure that they have a stable job to ensure that they have an income to buy that house, to pay—

I don’t know, Speaker; I think I’m a pretty entertaining guy when I get up there. I think I add value to the hearings. I think that the members opposite would want to hear from cabinet ministers. In fact, it was this government that made it mandatory for cabinet ministers to actually appear before committees to defend their bills. I want to thank the Premier for insisting that we do that.

When it comes to the Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, we’ve made it clear. We made a public policy decision that wasn’t supported by the people of the province of Ontario. The opposition, I assume, was going to vote in favour of that repeal. At the same time, it is still on the Environmental Registry for a 30-day consultation from people, from Indigenous communities. There is ample opportunity for the public to participate and to have their say. That will all be framed as part of the committee hearings before this House votes on third reading.