That’s absolutely right. The Liberals can call the carbon tax whatever they want to, but at the end of the day, it’s a tax on hard-working families and the people in Ontario. That’s why, when we were first elected, one of the first things we did was eliminate the provincial carbon tax. But under our plan, not only are we building EVs across this province, we’re also undertaking the largest expansion of public transit in the history of this province and this country—and for that, North America. We’re investing a historic $70 billion to build and expand public transit, all in Ontario.

On top of that, the Ontario Line, which both the Liberals and the NDP voted against, will take 28,000 cars off the road every single day. We’re transitioning the GO rail network from diesel to electric trains, and expanding access to two-way, all-day GO across this province. That, too, was not supported by the Liberals—

Look, the NDP have a candidate, of course, in that area who actually supports—what did she say? She wants to see the current encampments remain until further housing arrangements can be made. But then she went on to vote against 2,000 units of housing in the very area where the encampments actually are, and then voted against thousands of dollars that were set aside for affordable housing in the very same area.

So I would ask the member opposite, when this particular NDP candidate loses the by-election and she returns to council, if she might actually vote in favour of the thousands of housing projects that she is currently voting against, which includes affordable housing, to the tune of thousands of dollars?

That is the problem of the NDP. They want to talk, but when it comes to doing something about anything, they sit on their hands and do nothing. This government has put record levels of support, record levels of infrastructure. We’re going to continue to do that, untangling the mess that they left behind.

My question is to the Minister of Energy. Speaker, last week, the government spent two days debating a toothless motion on the carbon tax that will amount to no real action being taken other than a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister. The motion had no weight and will make not a single change to any policy. So now, Minister, let’s refocus on what we can actually do for Ontarians.

People in my riding of Algoma–Manitoulin struggle daily to pay for necessities. Hydro rates continue to rise across the board, making it harder for people to afford to live and work in our province. When the government came to power, they promised that hydro rates would go down on their watch. They have not.

Speaker, these are the facts, so why is hydro more expensive today than when they took office?

Roslyn Taylor—we’ve spoken about her often—owner of Taylor Sawmill on Manitoulin Island, shared some of her hydro bills with me recently. When she gets her hydro bill the delivery charges are more than double her costs. Here are a couple of examples: usage $1,345, delivery $3,554; usage $1,514, delivery—more than double—$3,587. Here’s one more: usage $1,631 and again the delivery charge, $3,671. The Taylor Sawmill had 25 employees and they’re now reduced to 12 employees.

Minister, instead of sending letters on the carbon tax to another level of government, this is something you can actually address. When is your government going to act on the punishing costs of energy in Ontario?

Boy, that was a long way to get there. Thank you to the member from Algoma–Manitoulin. First of all, let me address the first part. If we don’t take these actions, trying to have motions that encourage the federal government to move on things, we wouldn’t have the HST off home builds, for instance. We wouldn’t have the child care program that we have now in the province of Ontario. By encouraging as a united force here in the Ontario Legislature, we may just get the break that Ontarians are looking for, and that’s the carbon tax off their home heating fuels.

I love this member, but when he was a long-time member of the New Democratic Party, they voted in favour of the carbon taxes that are driving up the price of fuel in his home communities. I’ve met a lot of those people in Algoma–Manitoulin. They drive big trucks. That’s what they drive there, and they are getting killed at the pumps—not because of our party; we’re reducing the price of gasoline. The federal party, the NDP and the Liberals are driving up the cost—

Interjections.

When we became the government of Ontario, we brought forward the comprehensive electricity plan, which reduced the cost of electricity by 15% to 17% every year. It has brought stability to our province. It has brought multi-billion dollar investments to our province.

I was the Minister of Economic Development prior to our Minister of Economic Development doing such a great job in that role, and the biggest thing we were hearing was, “You have to fix the Liberal hydro mess.” And we have done that. As a result, we’re seeing those multi-billion dollar investments in Windsor, in Loyalist township, in St. Thomas, in Algoma—the steelmaking facility is moving to an electric arc furnace because of the stability that we brought to the energy sector.

It’s time for that member to get on board. Join us. We’re getting—

Interjections.

I’m not sure where the member has been. We are actually focused on that—since 2018. We have brought forward a number of bills in this House to do just that.

Now, it is very true that we had to untangle much of the mess that was left behind by the previous Liberal-NDP coalition government in this province which stopped construction in many different areas of the province, in particular the north, Mr. Speaker. I was shocked when the Liberal government at the time said that the north was a wasteland and that nobody should invest in it. You would have thought that the NDP would have used that as an opportunity to bring down the Liberal government, because there could have been no other indication of how little the Liberals cared about the north than that, but the NDP continued to prop them up for an additional number of years, Mr. Speaker.

Having said that, we are opening up the Ring of Fire because we understand how important the north is to Ontario. We’re doing more than that. We’re building long-term care in northern Ontario. We’re building new roads in northern Ontario. The Northland is coming back to northern Ontario because we know that the north is key to the prosperity of all of Ontario.

Meegwetch, Speaker. Sometimes I give my head a shake when the government says Ontario is the best place to live because it’s not like that where I’m from. It all depends on where you live in Ontario.

Over the years I’ve told this House, even two years ago, about people having to live in tents during the winter in Eabametoong, also known as Fort Hope. I also talked about the high numbers of people who live without homes in Sioux Lookout. I guess it takes longer for changes to come up north. Why is that?

And I ask the government: How many of the 1.5 million homes proposed by this government are for the people of Kiiwetinoong?

For the Minister of Health: There is a fundamental principle in emergency medicine that says following any major trauma or accident, patients have a one-hour window in which the right care means the difference between life and death. That hour is called the golden hour—just 60 minutes to save a life.

Yet, under this government’s watch, millions of Ontarians are being denied and robbed of their golden hour by the Premier and the Minister of Health. Under their watch, we’ve seen 911 calls go unanswered, ambulances dispatched too late, rampant and unpredictable closures of emergency departments—nearly 900 in 2022 and almost 500 by last August, and it’s only getting worse.

While the RCMP has rightly launched a criminal investigation into the Premier’s greenbelt misconduct, we are watching yet another scandal unfold in this government’s mismanagement of health care. When will this government do more than lip service and take a single concrete step to reopen shuttered emergency departments across this province?

Stop the clock.

Members will please take their seats.

Interjection.

Start the clock.

The next question.

Thanks to the member from Carleton. She’s a great advocate for the people of the Ottawa region, and particularly in the riding of Carleton. She’s helping with the affordability crisis that Justin and Jagmeet have created in our province and across our country.

We’re bringing forward changes here every day to make life more affordable, whether it’s ending the carbon tax, which we did back in 2018—and fought it all the way to the Supreme Court; removing 10 cents a litre on the price of gasoline; bringing our electricity prices under control through the comprehensive electricity plan and the Ontario electricity rebates; all the fees that we’re returning to people to try to make life more affordable.

The members of the Ontario Liberal caucus continue to stand up and say that the people of Ontario are better off now than they were because of the carbon tax. It’s unbelievable. It’s shocking that we hear those kinds of statements made, when it’s obvious to everyone, including the federal Liberals, that the carbon tax is having a negative impact on the lives of the people of Canada and the people here in Ontario.

Just this week, on Monday, I was in Saskatchewan with Minister Duncan, their energy minister there responsible for SaskPower, entering into a new agreement with SaskPower and Laurentis Energy and OPG to deploy small modular reactors. Of course, we’re leading the way here in Ontario, not just in Canada, but around the world, on our small modular reactor program. That’s reliable, affordable, emissions-free power that we’re going to be able to send all around the world and to Saskatchewan as well, Mr. Speaker.

The NDP are twisting themselves in knots again. I’m curious to see what they do now that the Ontario Federation of Labour has fully supported our decision to build out our nuclear fleet here in Ontario, which is world-leading.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy. I continue to hear concerns from many of my constituents in Carleton that the federal Liberals are leaving them out in the cold this winter by refusing to pause the carbon tax. We know that the carbon tax is not good for the people of Ontario.

Thanks to the confirmation from the Bank of Canada and the Parliamentary Budget Officer, we now know that the disastrous carbon tax is raising the price of everything by driving up inflation. The cumulative effect of even more tax increases creates greater hardships for many Ontario households that are already struggling.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please share how the federal carbon tax impacts the affordability of daily living for all Ontarians?

It’s truly disheartening that members of the opposition parties are playing politics rather than supporting good policies that will help the people in our province and will help to reduce emissions.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to bring much-needed financial relief to the people of Carleton and Ontario and that will protect the environment?

Ma question est pour le premier ministre.

Nous sommes en crise sévère du logement dans le Nord. C’est du jamais-vu. À Timmins, des camps avec des tentes dans nos parcs : ce n’est sûrement pas pour du camping. Environ 70 % des sans-abris à Timmins viennent du Sud. Ils viennent dans le Nord, pensant accéder à plus de services avec moins d’attente, mais c’est tout le contraire.

Pendant que votre gouvernement essuie les dégâts de vos scandales de corruption, un hiver rude s’installe dans le Nord. Monsieur le Premier Ministre, quand est-ce que le gouvernement va arrêter de perdre le temps des Ontariens et va finalement construire le 1,5 million de maisons dont nous avons désespérément besoin?

Member for Eglinton–Lawrence and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health.

The next question.

The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

What I will say to the people of Ontario is that we have your backs. We are expanding primary care in the province of Ontario. We are expanding the number of seats available for nurses, for PSWs, for physicians in the province of Ontario.

We have programs in place that ensure that, if you would like to practise in Ontario, you can do that with new legislation—which, respectfully, you voted against—that says if you have a licence anywhere in Canada, you can come to Ontario and immediately start practising while you await your Ontario licence.

We have directed the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the College of Nurses of Ontario to quickly assess, expedite and ultimately review and, when appropriate, license internationally educated and trained physicians and nurses. We have done—

Thanks to the member opposite for the question. I know that the farmers of Brant county truly appreciate his genuine advocacy on their behalf.

I hope everyone in this House took a meeting with our representatives of Ontario Pork this past week, because if you did, I’m sure that you would hear loud and clear that they are supportive of the removal of carbon tax from propane and natural gas used on farms. This is imperative, that we move forward and come together and collectively support their ask, because the reality is that the carbon tax imposed upon us by the federal Liberal government is doing nothing but driving the cost of production through the roof.

I’m sure if you had had proper consultations with Ontario Pork, you would hear specific examples to your home areas. For instance, in Huron–Bruce, we heard about a farmer who saw his propane bill go up 21% solely because of the federal Liberal carbon tax. That erodes his ability to invest in biosecurity. That erodes his opportunities and ability to invest in new technology—

Talking about greenhouses, like the member opposite mentioned, we have seen the cost of energy go up for a particular greenhouse in Ontario by $150,000. I’m going to repeat that: Carbon tax has caused one greenhouse grower to pay an additional $150,000 this year alone. How is anyone ever supposed to be able to carry that? Again, it’s eroding his ability to be competitive.

You know, ladies and gentlemen, over 70% of all vegetables and produce grown in—

My question is to the Premier.

There are countless residents in the city paying unaffordable market rent and hanging on by a thread—residents like Rahima, who is living with a disability and spent 26 years on a wait-list for affordable housing. This government is only really interested in market-rate homes, which will leave so many without real housing options.

Will the government support the NDP plan for real rent control and build 250,000 new affordable rental homes, or will they stick with their failing policies that have led to skyrocketing rents and more people left unhoused on their watch?

I think we’ve been pretty clear that we will not support the NDP plan. We actually voted against that plan, Mr. Speaker. It was a plan that severely underestimated the costs, Speaker. Advocates across the sector said it would be unaffordable and would lead to the bankruptcy of the province.

So, what we’re doing instead, Speaker, is we’ve updated the definition of “affordability,” which received unanimous support from all parties in this House, which has been very well received by our municipal partners. One would wonder why, again, a Progressive Conservative government had to come to the table to improve housing in the province of Ontario. It should have been done a long time ago, but we’ve started to untangle the mess and the burdens that were put in place by the Liberals and the NDP—the NDP, who just like to talk about housing. They don’t actually like to accomplish anything, Mr. Speaker, but the policies that we have brought in have seen purpose-built rentals to their highest level in over 15 years. That is such good news for people who are looking for rental housing, and I’m proud to say that it continues on that trajectory.

Thank you to the member opposite for the question. I love to talk about all the great things that our government is doing to improve health care in Ontario.

Last year, health care spending in Ontario increased by over $2.7 billion. That was just last year, and that was just the increase. This government has increased spending on health care by $16 billion since we came into office. To be clear, our government has increased health care sector spending in Ontario by 6.1% per year on average—a much better record than the former Liberal government.

Our government knows the status quo is not working. That’s why we are taking initiatives, why we are innovating and why we brought in our community surgical and diagnostic clinics, which we’re expanding too. We’re getting it done so the people of Ontario can get the health care that they deserve.

None of these things have done anything to keep ERs closed and have ignored entirely the root causes of what we’re facing, because right now patients cannot get access to primary care. They can’t get access to family doctors and family health teams. When they try to get out to nurse practitioners, many of them can only be accessed by paying $400 mandatory subscription fees.

This is about doing things like dropping the appeal of Bill 124 and putting in the work to retain health care workers with proper wages, benefits and mental health supports. This means regulating temporary nursing agencies. It means investing the billions of dollars this government is instead stashing away in contingency funds. We cannot afford to fail on this.

In September, three teens were stabbed at a house party in the middle the night. Rushed to the nearest emergency department, they found that it was closed. In the last month, there was a 10-day period where the emergency department in Chesley, Ontario, was open for only 10 hours.

What does the Minister of Health say to the people Ontario who live with the anxiety of not having an emergency room open in their times of crisis?

My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. This week, Ontario pork farmers visited Queen’s Park, showcasing information about their quality products. Pork farmers contribute to making Ontario a world-class exporter for growing international markets. To my friends who are pork producers, thank you for feeding Ontario and for feeding the world.

While their contribution to our province’s economy is significant and important, the carbon tax is putting homegrown pork at a competitive disadvantage. This regressive tax, not only places a heavy economic burden on pork farmers, it also impacts the global standing of the agricultural sector.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the carbon tax is impacting the pork sector’s contributions to Ontario’s economy?

The carbon tax only serves to harm farmers and limit their potential to grow Ontario’s agriculture and food industry. Since the introduction of the carbon tax, production costs for our farmers, greenhouse growers and food processors have risen substantially. The delivery of every single consumer good in our province, particularly fresh and processed food, is being affected by one of the most economically harmful taxes our province has ever seen.

The carbon tax harms hard-working individuals, hard-working businesses and hard-working farmers. It provides no value other than taking money from families.

Speaker, could the minister please provide an update on the status of Bill C-234 in the Senate and what actions must be taken by the federal government to provide support to our farmers—