No, we won’t be supporting that piece of legislation. When the opposition held the balance of power and had the opportunity to introduce this over 15 years, they didn’t.

But what this government has done is that we’ve created unparalleled economic opportunity. You know who wins when we create that economic opportunity? Unions, labour, unionized jobs. We’ve created the conditions for incredible economic growth that’s seen Unifor workers on the job. Labour unions recognize that when our economy succeeds, they succeed.

We’ve been investing in training and skills development that’s lifting people up and supporting unions in the process. That’s why, in the last election, we were endorsed by eight of them. I know members opposite are really struggling. They’re caught between the woke ideologies of folks in downtown Toronto and their labour roots, and they’re being pulled apart at the seams. That’s why that leader ran unopposed in the last leadership.

Speaker, we’re going to stay focused on working with labour unions, supporting labour, creating unparalleled economic growth so that unionized—

Folks in Sudbury know that my office door is always open to support those capital projects for unionized workers. We’re going to keep creating those opportunities, and when he stands up another quarter from now, hopefully we will have approved some of those projects to get those union—

Interjections.

Speaker, I’m hearing stories of refugees, asylum seekers, given opportunities to work in union training centres. I’m hearing contractors who are working hand-in-hand with unionized workforces to create opportunities in this great province that is Ontario, Speaker. Perhaps that member should walk around and talk to the auto workers who, thanks to the leadership of this Premier and this Minister of Economic Development, have tons of jobs in creating the electric vehicles, the batteries and the EV automotive jobs of the future being done by workers here in Ontario, thanks to the leadership of this Premier.

Ontario used to have anti-scab legislation that was brought in by an NDP government. However, the Harris Conservatives got rid of that straight away, and ever since, workers and those who respect them have been fighting to reintroduce protections against the use of replacement workers.

This minister is a big talker, but I wonder if this new Minister of Labour would walk a strike line and hear how ugly working conditions can be and maybe understand how scab labour leads to higher-conflict picket lines, jeopardizes workplace safety, undermines the bargaining power of workers and drags out strikes.

I am proud to have co-sponsored Bill 90, which is the 16th time that the NDP has brought anti-scab legislation to this House. I hope the government will pass Bill 90 today. My question is this: Why won’t this minister and government support workers and support anti-scab legislation?

Interjections.

My question is for the Minister of Finance.

The governor of the Bank of Canada now says that the correct impact of the carbon tax on the inflation rate is actually four times higher and far more significant than his previous estimates. In my conversations with constituents, they tell me about the unnecessary harm that the carbon tax is creating, and they have asked me to continue raising their concerns about the negative impact of the federal government’s regressive tax. Across this province, many households are struggling to make ends meet, and businesses continue to face economic uncertainty due to the ongoing global supply chain challenges.

Speaker, can the minister please explain the impact of the carbon tax on the people of Ontario?

The Prime Minister needs to step up and do the right thing and eliminate the carbon tax, because Ontarians are suffering. As the finance minister so eloquently put it, everyone everywhere is fully aware that the carbon tax is hurting our economy and driving up prices. Speaker, we know that the carbon tax is not only affecting the price of energy and gas, but also the price of food and housing and so much more. The people of Ontario are looking for financial relief. But the reality is that the federal government is not willing to do the act, and neither are all the members of this House.

Speaker, can the minister please advise how our government is providing support to the people of Ontario during this economically challenging time?

Thank you to the member for that question. The member is absolutely right, and we know that now is not the time for punitive and costly taxes that make life more unaffordable for the people here and across the country.

But Speaker, it’s unfortunately not just the federal Liberals that are supporting a carbon tax. Just this week, the majority of Liberal members chose to once again vote against our motion on the removal of the carbon tax on all home heating fuels. Mr. Speaker, somehow everyone but the Liberal Party seems to know that this carbon tax is hurting the pocketbook of Ontario families and making their lives more unaffordable.

The Bank of Canada has said it drives up inflation. The Parliamentary Budget Officer shows that it results in income loss for average Canadians. Our constituents tell us every day, Mr. Speaker, how it makes things more expensive, and it’s time for all parties to join together in agreement that this carbon tax—

Interjections.

Just last week, Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member from Kanata–Carleton said that the vast majority of Ontario households are better off with a carbon price. This is despite all the evidence to the contrary. And welcome to the House.

Interjections.

We will not stop the work to fight the carbon tax and make life more affordable for the people of Ontario.

In 2015, when I was Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, we gave Canadians fair warning that this carbon tax was going to be the single biggest reason for increase in the cost of goods and services this country had ever seen. It has come to fruition—on a collision course with inflationary times.

Out in northwestern Ontario, I can’t help but say, with our friends from the district services board and school boards here today, that it costs more to fuel buses; it costs more to send kids from one school to another school some 215 kilometres away for a football game or a basketball game. When those ambulances go out much farther distances than other regions in this province, it costs more money. With gas at $1.70 a litre right now in Dryden and Kenora, and the deep freeze setting in of winter, I can’t help but think that we’re going to be bearing more and more costs as the carbon tax goes up and up.

Mr. Speaker, this ludicrous tax needs to go. Let’s scrap the tax.

The problem is, it has fallen on deaf ears. The federal government has no plans to eliminate the carbon tax on the cost of fuels to energize our communities up north or the cost of goods. It’s a ludicrous tax. It needs to go. Let’s scrap the tax.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Interjection.

The member for Niagara Falls will complete his question.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the member opposite for the question. I see a little bit of tone in his voice; maybe it’s because the Argonauts didn’t make it to the Grey Cup this year, but there’s another year at some point.

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport supports 16 agencies and attractions across Ontario. And let me not forget maybe the most important thing: They are huge drivers and supporters of tourism for this province. That drives billions of dollars, not only to that marketplace, but around Ontario. So we’ve got to make sure we don’t forget that.

Changes to the members and leadership of Ontario’s agencies and boards are a common occurrence, and we typically don’t take out billboards or run ads when it happens.

Mr. Maves has done a lot of great work, and we appreciate the time he spent with us.

Well, there have been changes. Boards get changed all the time. Things happen. There is absolutely no reason for us to centre anybody out at any time. They commit their time and their efforts to make things better. The member identified how great it has been there, and it will continue to get even better, because of the people who take the time out of their daily lives and their jobs to sit on boards, to support the agencies and drive tourism in Niagara parks and in the Niagara region.

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

Speaker, residents in northern Ontario and Indigenous communities are being negatively impacted by the carbon tax. The rising costs associated with the carbon tax, particularly in transportation and supply chain activities, are posing challenges for individuals, families and businesses. Given the current reality of higher expenses for transporting goods in northern Ontario, the carbon tax only serves to make the situation worse. As a result, people are experiencing increased financial burdens at the gas pumps and in grocery stores. There are unique circumstances in the north that must be considered, particularly when it comes to travel.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the carbon tax is negatively affecting northern and Indigenous communities?

Speaker, it is disheartening that instead of providing support to northern Ontario, the previous Liberal government, with the backing at the time from the NDP, chose to label the north as a “no man’s land.”

Northern Ontario faces distinct challenges, especially when it comes to the cost of fuel. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how this regressive carbon tax is impacting northern Ontario?

Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, there isn’t always public transparency about the evidence used by this government to make their decisions. The Chiefs of Ontario have asked this government to meet with them, as they have concerns about Métis consultation, with no answer. When will this government sit down with them and discuss Ontario’s identification of Métis communities?

I’ll touch on the greenbelt for a second and the double standard here. You changed it 17 times, but no one said anything, because you were taking care of the environmentalists. That’s one thing.

Talking about raising taxes, our government has never raised a tax on the backs of the people of Ontario. We’ve never raised a tax on the backs of businesses. To the contrary, we lowered taxes to the tune of $8 billion to attract the companies that they chased out of our province. They chased out 300,000 jobs as we created the environment for 715,000 jobs.

We’re putting money back into peoples’ pockets, as you increased taxes by billions and billions of dollars and made this the worst—

Interjections.

Anyway, we inherited a mess. The province is going in the right place. We hear—not just from everywhere around Canada and around North America, but the entire world—that we’re the hottest place in the world to invest in, no matter if it’s life sciences, technology or EV batteries.

Well, what the member and I can agree on is the fact that the federal government has introduced legislation that is problematic between Métis communities and First Nations communities across this country. Furthermore, it lacked the kinds of consultations with provincial and territorial governments, First Nations governments and, quite possibly, Métis governments. We don’t have a record of those consultations. We just know that we weren’t addressed with regard to it.

That said, it is not the style of this Premier or our government to be divisive. We understand the balance that we have to strike between the Métis communities and the First Nations communities, and we encourage the leadership of the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Chiefs of Ontario to get in a room together to have a discussion and look for solutions and opportunities in this important debate.

Supplementary.

Start the clock. The Premier.

Supplementary question?

Back to the Premier: Members of the Wabun Tribal Council are here. They also have raised concerns about Métis recognition in their territory. Decisions made by Ontario that create recognition will have current and future impacts on legitimate rights-holders for many generations.

Can this government speak on how Ontario concluded that there is a distinct Métis community in the Abitibi Inland on First Nations territory?

I want to thank my friend from Chatham-Kent–Leamington. He’s absolutely right for asking the question. Who would believe that when you think of public safety, it costs more because of the carbon tax? Police officers, firefighters, special constables, all the first responders that drive cars to keep our place safe have to pay the carbon tax in every gasoline fill-up they make. The carbon tax has made a crucial operation that keeps our communities safe so expensive. And Mr. Speaker, we’re talking about thousands of automobiles. We’re talking about 4,000 automobiles alone at the OPP. This is millions of dollars of wasted money that could be used to keep our province safe.

Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. We’re calling on the federal government to do the right thing and get rid of the tax.

Interjection.

No.

Oh, I love these questions, Mr. Speaker. You know what? We got into power in 2018. Who gave us an infrastructure deficit? Was it this side? No. It was that side. It was that member’s party. Mr. Speaker, we hadn’t built subways, no hospitals, no roads, no bridges, no long-term care.

And when we lowered the gas tax, did that member vote yes or no?

Good morning, Speaker. My question is to our Solicitor General. It’s no secret that people from across Ontario are fed up with the unnecessary and useless carbon tax. It’s regressive and punitive. It hurts everyone and it makes life more expensive for families and businesses throughout the province. The carbon tax is not only increasing the cost of goods, it’s driving up the costs of fuel and gasoline for all of us.

We’ve heard about the negative impacts of the carbon tax and the rising cost for families and businesses, but our front-line paramedics, police and firefighters are also impacted. Speaker, can our Solicitor General please explain the negative impacts of the carbon tax on law enforcement and public safety agencies across Ontario?

It’s vital that we provide our police services with the support and resources they need to protect our communities instead of paying additional fuel costs because of this carbon tax. Speaker, can our Solicitor General please elaborate on how funds spent on the carbon tax could be better allocated to keeping Ontario safe?

This government has a habit of admitting mistakes only when they get caught red-handed. The $8.3 billion greenbelt giveaway, well-documented by the Auditor General, the Integrity Commissioner and now under criminal investigation by the RCMP, is only their latest scandal.

They also have a habit of blaming problems in our province, which they govern, on every level of government except their own. We have an affordability crisis, and yet what does this government do in their fall economic statement? They create a new bank with $3 billion of taxpayer money.

Speaker, 2,023 days ago, on May 10, 2018, the government made a promise, one that remains broken to this day: They promised to lower taxes for lower- and middle-income households. That would put up to $1,691 back into those households’ bank accounts.

My question to the Premier: When will the government stop playing the blame game and finally keep their promise to lower taxes and help Ontario families?

Speaker, families earning between $46,000 to $92,000 could save up to $1,691 if this government were to simply keep its promise. That’s money that could help those families deal now with high rents and the cost of living. This government, and this government alone, has the power to keep its promise, but instead of doing so, it’s going to spend $3 billion to set up an infrastructure bank that will only attract the money the government says it will if the government privatizes our public services.

Once again to the Premier: Will the Premier keep his promise and make life more affordable for Ontario families by lowering taxes now?

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Children’s aid societies in northeastern Ontario are in crisis due to the lack of resources. The Sudbury and Manitoulin CAS is running a deficit, despite not being allowed to do so, because their budget has been cut by half a million dollars a year. The minister wouldn’t make himself available when asked to comment on this by the media, so what will he say about this situation now that he’s here in the House?

My office hears from the local children’s aid service providers who are struggling to provide services for children in care because their budgets have been cut to the bone. Sudbury and Manitoulin CAS have no new foster families to place children with when they’re in desperate need. The head of the Nipissing and Parry Sound CAS said the following: “If we had to remove a child or children from a home, we have nowhere to put them.”

Speaker, what possible explanation does the minister have for severely cutting funds to the children’s aid societies, and what’s his next plan when a child is in crisis?