Government House leader.

The next question.

Thank you to the great member from Carleton.

Mr. Speaker, I want to be crystal clear to the people of Ontario, to the federal government, and especially to the Liberal member from Kanata–Carleton: The federal carbon tax is making life tougher and making all areas of life more expensive for the people of Ontario and their families. It makes the commute to the grocery store pricier—

Mr. Speaker, this isn’t a tax that just affects some Ontarians; this is driving up costs for every person in the province—and across the country. That is why we will not stop putting pressure on the Liberal government to do the right thing—and perhaps the provincial party will join—and eliminate this regressive carbon tax.

The Liberal member from Kanata–Carleton might think that more taxes and higher prices are good for the people of Ontario, but this government is taking action to put money back into the pockets of many Ontarians. While we wait for the federal government to end the carbon tax, our new measures are giving relief to families right across the province. That’s why, only a few weeks ago, we extended the gas tax cut to June 2024, ensuring that drivers continue to have the relief they need at the pumps. We ended the licence plate stickers, making it more affordable to drive your car—reducing electricity bills; cutting tolls on the 412 and the 418.

This government will continue to lead the way, making life more affordable for the people of Ontario, and perhaps the members opposite would join us in doing just the same.

This government is planning to allow only one hour of committee hearings to discuss Bill 136, Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing intends to use up that entire hour.

Ontarians are rightfully outraged by this government’s actions on the greenbelt, so why are you blocking the public from being heard?

The second biggest parcel of land removed from the greenbelt was located in Hamilton. The Integrity Commissioner reported details about how favoured greenbelt developers in Hamilton received preferential treatment from this government. The Premier repeatedly called one of these speculators, and the PC Party fundraising chair sold this speculator tickets to the Premier’s daughter’s stag and doe.

Why is the government blocking the public from participating in the Bill 136 hearings? Is it possibly to avoid accountability for preferential treatment of the Premier’s special greenbelt friends?

Mr. Speaker, we have lowered the cost of business by $8 billion a year. That has attracted $27 billion of electric vehicle investments, 120,000 men and women working in that sector and that is going to produce, here in Ontario. We saw General Motors have the first electric vehicles in Canadian history come off their assembly line.

In Ingersoll, we’re producing clean and emission-free vehicles here in Ontario. These are built with Ontario workers right here in our province. Our batteries will be a 100% clean energy. You get a battery in Kentucky made with 6% clean energy or go to Indiana and get a battery with 7% clean energy.

Here in Ontario, we’re making green steel, which will produce zero-emission vehicles. That’s what we’re doing in the province of Ontario.

It’s not going to help them with their groceries.

My good friend the member for Kiiwetinoong over there often discusses the price differences between groceries and other commodities between more populated communities in the north—Sioux Lookout to Sandy Lake First Nation was an example he gave. He noted that the price of chicken is sometimes six times higher in Sandy Lake First Nation than it is in Sioux Lookout. I would argue it’s already more expensive in Sioux Lookout than it is in other big towns and cities.

The Auditor General chimed in on this in 2022 and said Indigenous groups are “disproportionately burdened” by carbon pricing. This is before you factor in the harsh impacts of inflation disproportionately felt in remote communities and only being made worse by the carbon tax.

I know he was in Sachigo Lake this weekend, I think it was. I wondered if he noticed that gas was well above $2 a litre and bread was more than $4 a loaf. Is he going to stand with us to vote to scrap this tax?

The supplementary question.

I would like to thank the member for that important question.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that Ontario is home to a strong and vibrant 2SLGBTQIA+ community that calls Ontario home. We recognize the unique challenges and barriers faced by many within the community. That is why we are making critical investments to build safer and more secure communities in all aspects. This includes over $60 million in anti-hate initiatives just from my ministry alone, including a $25.5-million investment in the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant.

Mr. Speaker, as we observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the historical and ongoing challenges faced by the community and commit to building a stronger, more inclusive province where all Ontarians can safely and freely express their identity, practise their faith and observe their traditions.

Lastly, I want to say, in light of today being Transgender Day of Remembrance, to anyone who has experienced discrimination or harassment or is struggling; Please know that you are valued and that you are not alone. We are here for you, and our government will continue building a stronger and more inclusive Ontario where all people feel safe and accepted.

That’s a very, very interesting question coming from a Liberal member from Scarborough. The member will, of course, remember that the previous Liberal government absolutely did nothing when it came to supporting transit and transportation in Scarborough.

Not only are we building a subway in Scarborough, the Ontario Line, but we’re also doing more on GO services, not only into that area but across the GTA. In my own riding, two-way, all-day GO trains, something we could have only dreamed of before, are now a reality in many parts of the province.

We’re putting historic levels of funding to support our transit and transportation, including our public transportation system. There is no government that has put more money into public transportation than this government and we continue on that because we understand how important it is to building a bigger, better, stronger province of Ontario. We’ll continue to do the work that the Liberals refused to do when they had that opportunity.

The member is right on one thing: It is time to make investments. But you know when it was time to start making investments? Ten, 12 years ago, when the people of Scarborough, when the people of Toronto were desperate for more subways and the Liberals did absolutely nothing. Now, as in every single thing that this government has to do, it is about catching up, because after 15 years of disastrous Liberal and NDP-supported rule we are faced with crises, whether it’s in transit and transportation or our health care system, so we’ve had to build hospitals, renew our hospitals and build long-term care, build more roads and improve our transit system. We’re building subways.

And do you know why we have to do all of that? Because under 15 years of Liberals, they did absolutely nothing. They spent, but we have no idea what they spent on. They have nothing to show for it other than high taxes, high regulations and being one of the most indebted sub-sovereign governments in the world. We’re getting it done and we’ll continue to get it done for all of the people of Toronto and Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation.

This government loves to talk about investing in transit, but under their watch, transit agencies are more underfunded than ever. What good is a new subway line if the other subway lines and bus routes are getting cut because the TTC is starved for funding and this government wouldn’t pay up? Our economy relies on public transit getting our workers to work on time. Transit agencies are cutting routes while increasing fares. Reduced service is a major obstacle to bringing people back on the TTC, where we are only at 78% of pre-pandemic usage. The TTC does not have the money to restore service, and we need the province to step up. The provincial subsidy for transit agencies is not tied to inflation.

Will the minister commit to funding the transit service that Ontarians rely on, or will they continue treating bus riders as an afterthought?

Having witnessed one LRT line derail because of poor maintenance, I would hope that this government would see it as a warning that they need to invest in the system. Instead, the TTC has to cancel buying new trains for Line 2 because of their provincially supported funding crisis. The trains on Line 2 are not built to last past 2026, and thousands of commuters and I are worried that a serious accident might occur once again. We need to buy new trains, and this government needs to step up because the TTC cannot afford it alone.

Will the minister commit to helping Toronto replace the trains, or is he content to watch another subway derail under his government’s watch?

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development.

We’ve heard in this House and we’ve certainly heard from our constituents that the carbon tax is making everything more expensive for all Ontarians. The people of northern Ontario and the northern Indigenous communities are even more impacted by the high cost of goods and travel because of this regressive tax. That’s why it’s so shocking to hear the Liberal and NDP opposition members continuing to defend the tax. The reality is that the cost of transporting goods is already much higher in northern Ontario, and these costs are being passed on to the consumers.

Will the minister please elaborate on his views regarding the carbon tax’s negative impact on northern Ontario and northern Indigenous communities?

Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

I haven’t seen the study that you referred to—I’ll look at it—but I don’t understand how completing 14,000 extra cataract surgeries in the last year will not reduce wait times. It seems to me that that reduced wait times for, actually, 14,000 people who had those cataract surgeries, who can now read to their grandchildren, who can now drive to the store, who can now get about their daily lives. And thank goodness we did that, because people need to get back to their lives.

That is what this government is doing—making sure we have the right care, in the right place, at the right time, paid for with your OHIP card.

This question is to the Premier.

Yesterday was the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. I was honoured to attend the Toronto ceremony led by Jessica Spieker, who joins us in the members’ gallery today, from Friends and Families for Safe Streets, who walked us through an Etobicoke neighbourhood, documenting hundreds of collisions that have caused serious injury or death to pedestrians and cyclists by reckless drivers. We can and we must act for change.

After question period, we can vote for Bill 40, the Moving Ontarians Safely Act. This legislation has been debated in this House for 10 years by different caucuses. It is not a partisan issue. Can the Premier confirm to the House today that the government will be supporting Bill 40 at second reading?

I’m proud to represent thousands of hard-working truckers in my riding. Every day, they ensure our grocery store shelves are stocked, our hospitals have the equipment they need, and our manufacturers have the resources they need to build Ontario-made products. But they tell me all the time the carbon tax adds unnecessary costs to each delivery. This only makes the cost of everything more expensive.

According to the Ontario Trucking Association, the carbon tax of 17.4 cents per litre increases fuel cost for a long-haul truck between $15,000 to $20,000 per truck per year.

Speaker, it’s clear that the carbon tax is hurting our economy and making life more expensive. We call on the federal government to do the right thing and get rid of the carbon tax.

Speaker, the NDP and the Liberals are so out of touch with reality right now. They claim that the carbon tax is designed to help people transition to other options. When it comes to long-haul trucking, there are no other options. The carbon tax is only a tax on the hard-working people who fill up their car, heat their homes, and rely on truckers to deliver their goods.

I don’t know the last time the member from Kanata–Carleton actually met with a trucker. I invite her to come to Brampton and meet with the hard-working men and women who deliver our goods. They will tell her that the carbon tax is making it harder for families to put food on the table, and it’s adding to inflation.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation.

So far, the federal Liberal government has increased the carbon tax on gasoline five times, and they plan on doing it seven more times over the next seven years. The carbon tax is making life more expensive for everybody, especially the trucking industry, who we rely on to transport our goods.

That’s why it was shocking to hear last week when the member from Kanata–Carleton actually stood up and defended the carbon tax. That Liberal member might think the carbon tax is a good thing, but our government knows that it’s a regressive tax and it only makes life more expensive for millions of people in Ontario.

Can the minister please explain the impact of the federal Liberal carbon tax on the trucking industry?

The people of Ontario are certainly indebted to the hard-working men and women in the trucking industry who deliver the essential goods that we count on every day.

But, Speaker, the reality is that the impact of the carbon tax is having a bad impact on the trucking industry, and it ultimately affects every consumer. The cost to fuel the trucks to transport goods is passed on to the consumer who purchases those goods. This is a critical issue, and it impacts all Ontarians, including those who live in Kanata–Carleton, where over 1,500 people are employed in the trucking and warehousing industry. Unfortunately, the member for that riding is ignoring their concerns about the negative impact of this carbon tax.

Speaker, can the parliamentary assistant please elaborate on how the carbon tax impacts the trucking industry and all Ontarians?

There’s a lot to unpack in that question from the member opposite.

He wants to talk about long-term care. Well, let’s talk about the legacy of what the last government, supported by the NDP, had done to the last system—failing to build long-term care. They knew we had an aging population. We had a lot of immigrants coming to this province, with seniors. That puts additional pressures on a system that they created—in 15 years building a net new 611 beds; a system in which they let the wait-list grow to 40,000 people; a system in which the average wait time for seniors was 152 days.

It is under the leadership of this Premier and this former long-term care minister, who said that we’re not going to go down that road—the road that they created, where you don’t support our seniors—because we think we need to take care of our seniors. That’s why we’re building—$10 billion, a record investment into building 58,000 new and redeveloped homes. That’s why we are taking care of our seniors with better diagnostic tools, better outcomes, focusing on their health and well-being.

Speaker, we won’t take lessons from this NDP—

My question is to the Premier.

Last week, we learned the Conservative government is paying private, for-profit clinics two to four times more than they pay public hospitals for OHIP-covered surgeries.

Also, the former Minister of Health is now lobbying for Clearpoint Health, the biggest chain of private surgical clinics in the country. This comes as a recent report noted that expanding private surgery will not reduce wait times; in fact, it will increase wait times for patients, while worsening our staffing crisis in the province of Ontario.

Why is the Premier choosing to put profits for private clinics before care for patients in the province of Ontario?

Back to the Premier: This isn’t the first time a Conservative government in Ontario privatized public care; the Mike Harris Conservatives did it with long-term care. They closed 26 hospitals and laid off 6,000 nurses.

Six thousand people died in long-term care during the pandemic—78% were in private, for-profit clinics. The military was called in for some of those homes. Some residents were dying of dehydration. The Premier then gifted those homes with legal protection so families couldn’t sue them for neglect, and he gave some homes multi-decades-long licence renewals. It’s absolutely shameful.

Why won’t the Premier acknowledge the mistakes of the previous Conservative government, repeal Bill 60, and invest in our publicly funded, publicly delivered, not-for-profit health care instead of the profits of private shareholders and CEOs?

To respond, the member for Eglinton–Lawrence and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health.

Thank you to the minister for those examples of this outrageousness. The carbon tax is, in essence, a tax on everything: your groceries, your gas, your home heating fuel, and so much more. It’s outrageous that the federal government is imposing this regressive tax that negatively impacts individuals and families, especially those in northern communities.

Instead of supporting northern Ontario, the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, spent more time insulting the region, calling it a “no man’s land.” Unlike other parts of our province, the north faces unique barriers regarding fuel costs that need to be understood and respected. Individuals downplaying the carbon tax’s impact on northern Ontario is ultimately disrespectful to all of its residents.

Will the minister please elaborate on the detrimental impacts of the carbon tax on the people, the communities and the businesses across the north?