Good morning, everyone—beautiful day to be in here with you.

Mr. Speaker, tell the Premier that instead of holiday bells, I am ringing the alarm bells, because the climate crisis is here and it’s costing Ontarians already. While we wait to hear about the RCMP criminal investigation into the $8.3-billion sale of the greenbelt, the government could and should read the damning report released last week by the Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario. Spoiler alert: There’s a frightening financial impact of the climate crisis on our infrastructure. If we don’t begin to proactively plan and build for the extreme weather events that are definitely coming due to climate change, it will cost an extra $4.1 billion per year.

Interjections.

My question to the Premier is, when will he wake up, smell the wildfires and declare a climate emergency in Ontario?

The FAO report clearly proves that we need to be proactive about this—no more short-term thinking. The fatal consequences of climate change are already in effect. The global mortality rate associated with extreme heat accounts for five million deaths per year. The 2021 heat wave in BC amounted to over 600 people dying. It’s only a matter of time before Ontario faces an extreme heat wave.

My question is to the Premier: Will he commit to an expansive and informative public education campaign and an extensive plan to ready our infrastructure before next summer comes blazing in with potentially deadly temperatures?

The member opposite should know that our government’s history in dealing with human-trafficking survivors and perpetrators is clear and very, very deep. When I think of the work that the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock has done, when I think of the legislation that we have brought forward as a government to protect and ensure that individuals who perpetrate human trafficking are brought to justice, it is our government, under Premier Ford, who has done that work.

I really think it’s important for the member to understand that we are absolutely seized to ensure that every piece of human trafficking and the survivors’ pathway to treatment is something that our government and multiple ministries have been working on for many, many years.

Interjections.

Back to the Premier: Speaker, access to birth control radically changed the face of the workforce. Family planning has empowered women to pursue the careers of their dreams. It secures economic freedom and has been the key to a prospering Ontario. However, Speaker, the cost remains a barrier to many women. Does the Premier believe that access to birth control is a right, and if so, will he be supporting the NDP member for St. Catharines’ motion for universal access to birth control?

Next question.

Restart the clock. Supplementary.

My question is to the Premier. To quote the executive director of Victim Services of Durham Region, “Publicly funded prescription birth control will help empower survivors experiencing gender-based violence and human trafficking. Access to birth control is life-saving.”

Speaker, the lack of access to birth control is used by abusers and perpetrators of human sex trafficking to control their victims. Birth control is much more cost-effective than health care or even the therapy that we owe the survivors after freeing them from sex trafficking if they are pregnant.

Does this government agree that universal access to contraception will give survivors more control over their bodies and lives and help combat sex trafficking?

The member from Brantford–Brant is absolutely correct: The forestry sector is just one of the many natural resources sectors that are being punished by the carbon tax. In fact, all of our northern and rural businesses are being disproportionately impacted by that Liberal carbon tax.

Ontario’s commercial fishing sector is feeling the financial pressure too. The Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association recently told us, “One business estimates that the carbon tax is costing them $88,000 per year.” And if the federal government cared about the success of that business and the people we employ, they would cut the carbon tax.

With this regressive tax, they simply can’t compete with the American businesses fishing in the same waters. We have urged the Ontario Liberals to call on their federal counterparts to end this tax that is making everything more expensive. Let’s work together, do what’s right and build a better—

My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Minister, the carbon tax is raising the price of everything. This regressive and harmful tax is hurting the people of Ontario by driving up the cost of goods, of services and of essential items that they need.

The minister has previously warned about how the carbon tax is increasing the cost of raw materials from the forestry sector and is raising the price of products such as sand and stone. Not only does this federally imposed carbon tax make raw materials more expensive, but it also impacts the entire supply chain, resulting in higher costs for everything and everyone.

Can the minister please explain how the carbon tax is negatively impacting industries in the natural resources sector and consumers across the province of Ontario?

My question is to the Solicitor General. Speaker, I often talk about auto thefts and carjackings in this House, mainly because 33 division is among the hot spots for car theft and is in my riding. Even the federal justice minister is not immune to this crime. Two government vehicles assigned to him were stolen, and only one was recovered.

Michael Rothe, president and CEO of the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association, said in an interview with Maclean’s, “We’re a very safe country in many ways. But freedom isn’t free. Solving the car theft problem will actually help solve a lot of other issues, too.”

Speaker, I welcome the news of the Preventing Auto Thefts Grant funding. Can the Solicitor General please elaborate on how the government funding will help to tackle this urgent issue?

To paraphrase Michael Rothe in the same interview with Maclean’s, US Homeland Security is much more engaged than the Canada Border Services Agency, and our borders are more porous. Canadians are so frustrated to see containers with stolen vehicles going off to other countries.

Can the Solicitor General tell this House whether a timeline has been set for all levels of government to sit down together to address this crisis? And are there any public education programs planned in the near future to inform vehicle owners about car theft prevention?

Thank you very much. Supplementary question?

Thank you for the great question. We have repeatedly asked the federal Liberals to help us by removing the carbon tax to put even more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario.

I want to share further comments from the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association, who said that the carbon tax “increases the cost of goods because everything is shipped,” and that “suppliers have passed their carbon tax expenses on their businesses, driving up the costs of everything.”

Our government is doing more every day to support job creators and build a stronger Ontario. That’s why our Premier and our Minister of Finance have reduced the gas tax.

Industries, small businesses, families and workers across this province are asking the members opposite to recognize these negative impacts. Speaker, Ontarians want solutions, not additional taxes. The members opposite need to stand up and call for the end of the carbon tax. Come on, scrap the tax.

History shows that if I was to do that, nobody would actually build rental housing in the province of Ontario, because when we stopped that, when we made a modification to that policy, we saw record levels of purpose-built housing across the province of Ontario.

In fact, we’ll go even a step further. It has now finally been acknowledged by the federal Liberals and NDP that when you cut taxes and when you make life more affordable for people and when you make life more affordable for those who construct rental housing, they’ll get in. When the Minister of Finance said that we have to eliminate HST on purpose-built rentals, the federal government fought us for over a year. And what happened when we finally were able to get that done, with no help from Jagmeet Singh and the socialist caucus in Ottawa? We are seeing a $45,000-per-unit reduction in the cost of purpose-built rentals. And you know who stepped up to the plate? People who build purpose-built rentals, to the tune of we are at the highest level in over 15 years. That’s actually really good news.

When the Minister of Education said we have to bring down the fee of child care, but not in a way that would hurt or put one sector against another, but in a way that would advantage all Ontarians, and then when he fought to extend that deal, the opposition NDP voted against that.

When the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services increased ODSP rates and tied it to inflation, the opposition voted against that.

When we integrated fares so that people who take transit across the GTA to get to work, to get to appointments, to get to child care, would only have one fare to pay, reducing the cost by $1,600, on average, per person, the NDP voted against it.

On affordability, this is—

I want to thank my colleague opposite for the question. There has never been a government more concerned about public safety than our government, led by Premier Ford, and we have acted. The member is correct. Last week, we announced the first sums of money that will be going as part of our $51-million investment to fight auto theft throughout our province. Mr. Speaker, it’s serious, because every few minutes, somewhere in Ontario, a car is getting stolen. It’s completely unacceptable.

That’s why I continue to call on our federal counterpart to meet me at the border, to meet me at the port of Montreal, to open the containers that are being loaded onto the ships and see for themself. That’s where our cars are going. It’s completely unacceptable. We will do everything we can to continue to keep Ontario safe.

The cost-of-living crisis is getting worse. According to a recent report from Feed Ontario, 23% of food bank clients spend 100% of their income on housing. That’s all their income on housing. Without real rent control for all tenants, people are paying a larger and larger percentage of their paycheque towards rent, leaving little for all other expenses.

Premier, will you bring back real rent control measures that not only help keep people housed, but also help keep food on the table?

Under your watch, more and more children are going hungry. What are you going to do about it?

Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for his response. It’s disheartening to see the independent Liberals and the opposition NDP members continue to support such a regressive tax that harms our northern and rural businesses while consistently voting against measures that would make life more affordable for all Ontarians.

The carbon tax has contributed to higher fuel prices, higher shipping prices and more burdensome red tape and less innovation. Industries in the natural resource sector are legacy businesses that help build Ontario. Many of these businesses are vital to sustaining northern communities and contributing to Ontario’s economic prosperity. Can the parliamentary assistant please expand on how the carbon tax is negatively impacting local businesses and our province’s economy?

My question is for the Solicitor General. I rise today to address an issue that I have been hearing from my constituents in Mississauga–Erin Mills. It is clear to everyone but the federal government and the independent Liberal members that the carbon tax is negatively impacting Ontario’s economy. People in my community are concerned about the potential effects of the carbon tax on our public safety system.

Last week, we heard from the Solicitor General, who spoke about the additional costs that the carbon tax is placing on our front-line first responders. Can the Solicitor General please explain the consequences of the federal carbon tax on our province’s public safety system?

With media reports about crime and illegal activity in many areas of our province, residents in my community are concerned about the financial impact of the carbon tax on the day-to-day work of our front-line police officers. It is reasonable that people are worried about how the carbon tax is placing a strain on policing budgets. All Ontarians deserve to live safely in their communities, and they are counting on our front-line officers to respond to emergencies. Even more so, our hard-working police officers deserve support from our government as they carry out their duties.

Can the Solicitor General please elaborate on how the carbon tax is negatively impacting police services?

My question is for the Minister of Energy. We already know that the federal carbon tax is making life more unaffordable for Ontarians when it comes to home heating costs. The federal government has announced an exemption of the carbon tax on home heating oil for some Canadians, but further action for all Canadians is needed.

Heating is a necessity, but unfortunately, many Ontarians can’t afford the luxury of picking and choosing what heating fuel they can use. Because of the carbon tax, they are unfairly forced to pay additional costs to stay warm during the winter. This is unfair and not right. Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Ontarians to reduce the costs of home heating?

I want to thank my colleague for the question again. Last Friday, I joined with the Premier and our caucus colleagues and Peel police services to announce the first $18 million as part of the $51 million that will be invested. I want to identify some of the municipalities that are going to be getting some of the money: Chatham-Kent, $879,000; York region police, $900,000; Toronto, $900,000; Hamilton, almost $900,000—and there’s a greater list.

The member is also correct—our federal and our provincial and territorial ministers met in Bromont, Quebec. This was discussed in the meeting, and the other provincial ministers said, with me, to our federal counterpart, “You must do something at the border. You must step up border safety. You must go to the port of Montreal and you must see for yourself.”

I can equate it like this: Every million dollars of money that is wasted by a police service to pay the carbon tax portion on a litre of gas equates to almost 10 officers—boots on the ground that can keep those communities safe. It’s completely unacceptable that when a police chief has to present himself before a police service board to go through his budgetary lines, one of the lines is the carbon tax on fuel. It is absolutely ridiculous.

So we’re calling on the federal government—call, yourself, the police service boards, call the police chiefs and see for yourself. We have to get rid of this tax.

It is completely unacceptable that 10,000 vehicles a day, on average, are on the road to keep Ontario safe, and every time a police officer who’s risking his life—or her life—for Ontario has to sign a chit for the carbon tax. Mr. Speaker, it’s very clear: This is regressive. This is affecting public safety. Let’s get rid of the tax.

Supplementary question.

My question is for the Premier. In Kitchener-Waterloo, one in 10 households struggle to afford to put food on the table—last year, it was one in 14; two years ago, it was 1 in 20. Things are not getting better in the province of Ontario—58,000 individuals in need; 4,629 households accessed a food assistance program for the first time, a 45% increase over the same quarter in 2020.

Yesterday, we received the 2023 Feed Ontario hunger report, and it was titled Why Ontarians Can’t Get Ahead. Well, isn’t that a good question, Mr. Speaker?

We all know the food bank model was fundamentally designed to respond to an emergency need, but emergencies are supposed to end. In Ontario, and KW, it is only getting worse. When will the government acknowledge this and respond to this emergency?

The people who are living in tents are not concerned about the carbon tax. They’re not concerned about the gas tax. They’re concerned about surviving in this province. Last year’s food bank use was double the increase seen in the 2008 recession—double since the last recession. This is not the future we want for our children, who now make up one in every four recipients, and families. People in Kitchener-Waterloo and across Ontario deserve so much more.

Feed Ontario has presented some really good suggestions on housing, on food insecurity, on employment. Will this government listen to the lived experiences of Ontarians and actually get back on track to working for the people we’re elected to serve?