This is such a historic number that it bears repeating: In 2023, Ontario created more manufacturing jobs than all 50 US states combined. In the last three years, Ontario has attracted more than $29 billion in new manufacturing investments, creating more than 11,000 new jobs in that sector.

This year, Ontario welcomed an investment from a Kitchener-based med-tech firm, FluidAI. They’re investing $25 million, hiring 38 new technicians with a $1.4-million investment from our government. This investment will strengthen our world-class manufacturing sector and create jobs for hard-working families in Ontario.

We have continued to create the right conditions for job growth in every region of the province.

Thank you to the minister for the answer and also the work he is doing to attract good-paying jobs to Niagara and to every corner of this province. It’s great to hear that new, good-paying manufacturing jobs are being created in our province following years of news about manufacturing jobs—some 300,000 of them—fleeing Ontario under the Liberal government.

In fact, manufacturing employment in Ontario is now at one of the highest levels it has been since 2008. It is a testament to the measures our government has taken to cut red tape, slash taxes and get our economy back on track while rebuilding the manufacturing sector.

Speaker, could the minister share more about how these manufacturing investments are coming to Ontario?

The supplementary question?

To reply, the Attorney General.

The supplementary question?

Start the clock. The next question.

I find it ironic, and I actually have no problem with it. Many years ago, 30 years ago, I met a former Speaker called Chris Stockwell. He said, “Never, ever criticize the opposition for appointing people like-minded.”

We have a massive crime wave right now happening in our cities right across Toronto and the GTA. They’re kicking doors in, they’re putting guns to people’s heads and guess what happens, Mr. Speaker? They get out on bail, then they go do it again, then they get out on bail again and then they get out on bail. They’ve been out on bail eight times.

I guarantee, if I asked the students up there if they’re aware their houses are being broken into, their cars are being broken into—they’re terrified to stay at home by themselves. They want to go everywhere their parents go, because they’re terrified.

I am going to make sure we have like-minded judges—

Interjections.

Students at Ontario’s provincial schools are some of the most vulnerable students in our province, yet they are being forced to learn in horrific conditions. There are allegations of abuse, discrimination and neglect; a serious teacher shortage; crumbling school buildings; and absurd emergency response plans.

These schools are the direct responsibility of the Minister of Education. He could change things today if he wanted to. Students, parents, alumni, teachers and advocates have been begging him for years to act.

Will the minister finally take action and do something to protect these children?

—a school with deaf students and deaf staff using a cowbell as the emergency alert system;

—students having class in the bathroom because it’s the only place warm enough to take off their mittens, and they need to use their hands to communicate;

—students only getting assessments if their parents hire a lawyer or complain to their MPP;

—two class action lawsuits in the past 10 years, with the province paying $23 million in settlements, and yet there are currently no less than three new lawsuits filed or pending.

Is this a record that the minister is proud of? What is it going to take for him to finally act?

I do thank the member opposite for the question. We do agree; these are the most exceptional children within our care. It’s why this government has announced an $8.6-million investment to enhance and renew the facilities that lodge these kids. It’s why the government actually appointed inspectors to ensure compliance. It’s why this government announced a permanent executive director and a clinical manager and a new lodging policy that enhances safety through regulation.

We are committed to investing in supporting these kids, recognizing there are about 520 kids within our care and 610 staff that we have in place. We’ll continue to support them and provide compassion, hope, opportunity and training for these children, whom I visited at these various lodgings and schools across Ontario. We are committed to their success, Speaker.

But you talk about a track record—the member opposite will need to explain to those families why you opposed the funding to enhance those lodgings, why you opposed the increase in special education funding for those kids, why you opposed the hiring of 3,200 EAs to help the most vulnerable in our schools. While they’ll have to explain that to the families of this province, we’ll continue to invest and support the success of the most exceptional kids within our care.

I guess the Liberals are feeling left out. I actually thought they would keep their heads down on this kind of issue. Their record of appointments is abysmal and irresponsible. The former chair of the exact same committee was a Liberal donor and supporter, along with several other members of the same committee.

Here’s the thing: That doesn’t bother me. That doesn’t bother me at all. What bothers me is the hypocrisy of the other side—

What bothers me is the inconsistency of the other side in trying to avoid transparency. They’re mostly upset because something was said out loud that they want buried.

We were elected—we’re not just on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, we’re on that side of the House. Our majority sits over there. We have an obligation to the public to make appointments in the interests of the public. We will listen to conservative voices and we will make responsible appointments.

Interjections.

My question is for the Minister of Education. Our government will always be on the side of parents who want their kids to stay in class. The data is clear: Children excel when they are in school consistently. Literacy rates have increased across all grade levels and math has either stabilized or improved. We know that the minister is determined to land deals that keep kids learning and ensure that families across our province receive the stability they deserve.

Speaker, through you to the minister: How is our government working to keep children learning and to ensure that Ontario families benefit from a renewed focus on academic achievement?

Will the minister outline our government’s plan to support our youngest students and strengthen learning on what actually matters to parents and the job market?

My question is for the Minister of Northern Development. Speaker, the northern agri-food industry keeps our communities thriving. For 15 years, this critical industry was ignored by the previous Liberal government. Instead of supporting workers in the north, they insulted them by calling northern Ontario a “no man’s land.”

Our government recognizes the value of the agriculture and food sector in northern Ontario, as it boosts the local economy and creates great employment opportunities. That’s why we need to continue to make targeted investments that will boost local food production and stimulate expansion and diversification in the northern agri-food sector.

Can the minister tell this House what steps this government is taking to ensure that the agri-food sector stays competitive in northern Ontario?

Thank you to the member from Flamborough–Glanbrook for this question. I’m proud to announce in this House for the first time since we last rose ahead of the holidays that our government has landed deals with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and the French teachers’ union, which represents over a million children having peace and stability in their lives for the next three years.

As our government goes back to the basics of ensuring foundational learning, we can now provide a sense of certainty to families that their children will be in school learning with their educators, with their friends and with the stimulus of extracurriculars, clubs and sports. All of this is important to producing a well-rounded student who graduates with a competitive advantage as we help them ensure they’ve got the skills to get a good-paying job.

We are committed to stability for families, and we will stand up for children and their families to keep them in school right to June.

Our plan to get back to basics and back on track is working. Ontario is the second in the nation in reading, writing and math; we are in the top 10 in science internationally and top 15 in math globally.

To build on this, we recognize we have to start early, which is why the parliamentary assistants to the Ministers of Education and Health joined me to announce that we are introducing a new kindergarten curriculum that will require mandatory, explicit daily instruction in literacy and in math, supported by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

We are committed to ensuring kids learn life and job skills that allow them to get a good-paying job, own a home and achieve the dream of this country. We’re going to continue to invest and support back to basics in Ontario schools.

Supplementary?

The next question.

A short answer to the member opposite: Yes. We look forward, as we’ve done multiple times in session, to implement Working for Workers legislation, and I appreciate the input from all members of this place.

Speaker, let’s not forget that it’s this government that has expanded presumptive coverage for thyroid, for pancreatic, and now esophageal cancer. When that party opposite held the balance of power and could have pushed the Liberals to do something about it, they didn’t—but Premier Ford and our government are.

I would appreciate the member opposite—he can work like other members in his caucus, work with us and add these expanded coverages, and I look forward to working with him to do just that.

That member is seriously late to everything. This government has taken action—as I said: thyroid, pancreatic, esophageal, so much more. We’ve reformed WSIB. Quite frankly, when that party held the balance of power and when that party was, for the one time that they’ll ever have, in government in Ontario, WSIB was a mess. We’re working with WSIB, working with the heroic front-line responders, and we implemented the Skills Development Fund—things that member has done nothing to support—to expand Indigenous fire training, to support men and women who are serving on the front lines. We’ll always have their back, with or without that member.

I hope she’ll work with us on this, and I look forward—

The government recently refused amendments the NDP proposed for Working for Workers Bill 149 that would have properly reclassified wildland forest rangers as firefighters, making them eligible for the same presumptive cancer coverage as all other firefighters. There are many studies showing that people who fight forest fires are exposed to dangerous chemicals, and yet this government denies these workers access to the same support available to structural firefighters.

My question: With wildfire season anticipated to start early this year, will the government finally do the right thing and classify forest rangers as firefighters?

I thank the member from Sarnia–Lambton for his decades of advocacy. He’s a great colleague to work with, and I appreciate him very much.

On the heels of the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s AGM and the great speech from the Minister of Agriculture, I was there to remind the beef farmers of our unequivocal support for beef farming in northern Ontario. This is a growing agri-food sector. We have lots of examples to draw from. I mentioned the Penokean Hills co-operative, a group comprised of northern producers who sell and market beef products to build a finishing yard at the old Thessalon airport, responding for locally grown food. I also reminded them of an investment for the Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association out in my riding of Kenora–Rainy River. To the tune of almost a million dollars, the Premier and I announced an investment for their sales barn, which turns more than $10 million of beef sales a year out in the beautiful beginning of the Prairies. They were pleased, and they understood that our government stands poised to support agri-food in northern Ontario and its supply chain.

We know that northern Ontario can be the next big frontier for agri-food production in Ontario.

Thank you to that member for that question. She’s absolutely correct. We simply had a process that allowed decaying hydro poles to collapse without being able to fix them right away. That’s, frankly, ridiculous and dangerous, and that’s because such things were mired in bureaucracy and red tape under the Liberal government.

We know the opposition is okay to maintain the status quo, which drives up the cost of living and does absolutely nothing for the environment. But this is why we’ve been working hard under the leadership of this Premier to modernize a more than 50-year-old environmental assessment process. This is in response to calls from municipalities and communities that were frustrated that critical infrastructure projects were being caught up in unnecessary bureaucracy. Through extensive consultations with municipalities and Indigenous communities, our officials were able to identify products with known outcomes and processes so these projects can get done quicker for all Ontarians.

Speaker, construction methods have come a long way in the last 50 years. The way my ministry does environmental assessments has come a long way in 50 years. It’s time the process itself was brought up to date as well.

Speaker, it’s not only just on this change that we’re helping and listening to Ontarians, but it’s also part of our initiative to exempt regulations to streamline environmental assessment for Indigenous land claims as well and Indigenous settlements. This regulation will help resolve historic land claims more quickly by providing a single yet robust process for First Nations to settle these important claims.

More recently, our government has also removed the unnecessary yet mandatory 30-day wait period on routine projects. This is one change that will allow municipalities to build roads, bridges and water-treatment facilities faster.

Under the leadership of this Premier and this government, we will make sensible, practical changes that will ensure a strong environment and—

My question is to the Premier. For months now, we’ve been warning that the rollout of affordable child care is at a crisis point. The YMCA has been ringing alarm bells at pre-budget hearings across the province, warning of imminent closures in child care centres if this government doesn’t step up to provide adequate resources.

Despite countless operators asking for an adjusted funding formula and others pulling out of the program, this government’s operating funding to child care programs is lower than it was in 2018.

Will the government commit to immediately implementing a full-cost-recovery model, to ensure parents can access affordable child care in this province?

We must ensure families have equitable options for child care. The best way to do that is by instating a full-cost-recovery model. Will the minister finally take action to ensure families can get access to timely child care in this province? Minister, do it for the kids.

Interjections.

Thanks to the minister for that great response. It’s great to hear that our government is focusing on supporting the agri-food sector and livestock producers in the north.

Unfortunately, the people of northern Ontario are no strangers to the negative impacts of reckless policies put in place by previous Liberal governments. While the Liberals killed hundreds of thousands of jobs, our government is not only bringing those jobs back, but we’re continuing to invest in innovations in the agri-food sector and with livestock producers. By supporting agriculture research and innovation, we can increase the production and consumption of locally grown food in northern Ontario and throughout this province.

Speaker, can the minister again explain what our government is doing to increase food security and to ensure that northern Ontario’s agriculture sector continues to thrive?

It isn’t just that the previous Liberal government thought that northern Ontario was a no man’s land, they made life more expensive, and their federal cousins continue to do that.

On the other hand, Mr. Speaker, our party is ensuring that the right investments are being made to strengthen the supply chain for agri-food production across northern Ontario. I spoke at the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance to announce thousands of new acres of tile drainage in the Timiskaming and Cochrane districts, as well as in the Manitoulin Island regions. These are essential for creating arable land for livestock and other crop production. It’s absolutely essential that they have the tools they need to become a major player in agri-food sector production for the province of Ontario and beyond its borders, but also for the new demand—the new rage, if you will, Mr. Speaker—to have locally grown food that’s more affordable and meets the test of food security and food sovereignty locally that everyone in northern Ontario is asking for.

Mr. Speaker, we are proud as a government, as the Progressive Conservative Party, to have cut child care fees by 50% for working families in this province, saving anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000 per child.

The NDP cannot have it both ways. The NDP is on the record urging this government to sign the first deal available, which would have omitted $3 billion for those operators, which would have omitted for-profit child care in London and in communities across the province—a third of our operators are for-profit—because of an ideological aversion to a small business, often a woman, who runs a for-profit child care operator.

We are advocating to the federal Liberal government to demand more funding for our operators. Why don’t you get on board and support this government, and stand up for all operators and all families in this province?

We’re going to continue to reduce fees, we’re going to continue to create spaces and we’re going to continue to urge the federal Liberal government to step up with funding to support our operators, support our parents and support our kids, because all families will benefit from affordable child care in this province, Speaker.